Alpenbock Climbing Club scrapbook collection

Collection

Identifier: P1566

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Alpenbock Climbing Club scrapbook collection consists of 2 oversize boxes containing 2 scrapbooks with handmade wooden covers. The scrapbooks document the activities of the Alpenbock Climbing Club dating from 1961 to 1987, with most material dating from 1961-1964. They were compiled primarily by club historians: Ralph Hurst Tingey, Robert "Bob" Bruschke, Ted Wilson, and Richard "Rich" Ream.

The scrapbooks contain approximately 225 black-and-white photographs taken by club members during their climbs. Other material in the scrapbooks includes: clippings from local Salt Lake City newspapers and climbing magazines; typed reflections from club members about climbs; written descriptions and drawings of climbing routes; communications and agendas related to club activities; and other ephemera, including a cloth Alpenbock Club patch. Subjects include climbing routes and climb reports; search and rescue operations and safety education; and snow and ice climbing. Locations include: Wasatch Range, Utah; Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; Wind River Range, Wyoming; Sierra Nevada mountain range, California. Areas depicted within the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Salt Lake County, Utah include: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Bell’s Canyon, and Lone Peak Cirque.

Dates

1961-1987

Creator

Alpenbock Climbing Club (Salt Lake City, Utah) (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical / Historical

The Alpenbock Climbing Club, often referred to as the Alpenbock Club, was formed between 1958-1959 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The group was dedicated to rock climbing in Utah and Wyoming, with particular activity in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Bell’s Canyon, and Lone Peak Cirque in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Salt Lake County, Utah. Early members consisted primarily of recent graduates of Olympus High School and included Rick Reese, Ted Wilson, Ralph Tingey, Bob Irvine, Richard Wallin, Dave Wood, Rich and Dick Ream, Larry Evans, Court Richards, Milt Hokanson, and Robert "Bob" Stout. Alpenbock Club members Ted Wilson and Robert Stout made the first recorded ascent Little Cottonwood Canyon in 1961, climbing the “Chickenhead Holiday” route.

The Alpenbock Climbing Club was involved in the founding of the Salt Lake County Jeep Patrol Mountain Rescue Team, the first formal search and rescue group in the county. Alpenbock Club members offered safety seminars out of their homes, covering safe climbing techniques, accident analysis, and first aid. In addition to incorporating national trends in climbing safety, equipment, and technique, the Alpenbock Club was a proponent of the Leave No Trace movement in climbing. It was also significant for its involvement in winter and ice climbing, a method led by member George Lowe. Though most active in the 1960s, the Alpenbock Climbing Club never officially disbanded. (Source: "Little Cottonwood Canyon Climbing Area Historic District, Salt Lake City," Utah State Historic Preservation Office)

Extent

2.4 Linear Feet (2 oversize boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Alpenbock Climbing Club was formed between 1958-1959 in Salt Lake City, Utah and dedicated to rock climbing. The group was involved in the founding of the Salt Lake County Jeep Patrol Mountain Rescue Team, the first formal search and rescue group in the county, and was a proponent of the Leave No Trace movement in climbing. This collection contains two scrapbooks compiled by members between 1961 and 1987, with most material from the 1960s, that document club activity through photographs, clippings, climbing routes, and personal accounts.

Arrangement

Original order preserved.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Rick Reese in 2006.

Related Materials

Forms part of the S.J. Quinney Outdoor Recreation Archive. See also the Rick Reese papers (ACCN 1424) in the Manuscripts Division and the Rick Reese mountaineering audio collection (A0151) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.