Alpenbock - A Short Original Film

The Alpenbock film is a legacy story that honors the rich history and enduring spirit of rock climbing in Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons in Utah.

As climbing continues to grow in numbers and evolve, the routes and the passion for where we climb remain the same. We have a challenge and responsibility to preserve and protect these iconic climbing landscapes, rich with historical value. Because we can save a place a thousand times, but lose it only once.

This is the story of University of Utah first ascensionists in the 1960s and the respective group they formed– The Alpenbock Club. This is a story of passion, grit, culture, and climbing ethics.

It’s more than just climbing, it’s our legacy.

Bring this story to the BIG screen!

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Supporters

To date, Alpenbock has been made possible through the generous support of a broad coalition of partners and individual donors, including:

Foundations & Institutional Partners

  • Central Wasatch Commission

  • George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation

  • Kanter Family Foundation

  • Kem C. Gardner Family Partnership

  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  • The Marriott Library

  • National Forest Foundation / Snowpine Lodge

  • Price Family Foundation

Individual Supporters

We are especially grateful to Jenny Wilson for joining the project as a producer and for her leadership in helping guide Alpenbock forward.

  • Karen Atwater

  • Tina Burton

  • Nicole Drexler & Bonnie Joy

  • James R. & Barbara Gaddis

  • Sara Gibbs

  • William and Carol Hodgman

  • Robert Irvine

  • George Lowe

  • Peter Metcalf

  • Holly Mullen

  • Nathan Nelson

  • Susan Pett & Mary Mone

  • Morgan Ray & Jonna Ramey

  • Court Richards

  • Kandy Richards

  • Allen Sanderson

  • Virginia Shearer & Donald Shearer

  • Bob Springmeyer

  • Ralph Tingey

  • Marilyn Wallin

…and additional community supporters.

Interested in Supporting?

Salt Lake Climbers Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit   / P.O. Box 9157 / Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 / Federal EIN 80-0015850 / Contact: Julia Geisler - Julia@SaltLakeClimbers.org

Behind the Scenes

Made in partnership with Headlamp Studios

DIRECTORS STATEMENT

I learned to climb on real rock, and to this day I don’t spend much time in the gym. In fact, the biggest benefit I get from climbing is fresh air and an intimate connection with nature. That’s what this film is really about, at its core. Centuries turn, and new generations of people fill the shoes left by their ancestors, but some things remain, transcending the fleeting human cycle. What’s still there when all the people on earth have been replaced by their great-great-grandchildren? What is the cost of being unaware of that connection? Creatively, the challenge will be working around lack of footage from the 1950s and 60s. To fill in the gaps, our team of animators will develop a cohesive style that represents the culture, attitude, and timeframe, bringing the textures of the Alpenbock Scrapbook to life. We are lucky to have dozens of key characters alive to pass down their history, a legacy which has only been told around the campfire. It is our responsibility to gather these voices and put them on the record, before their great-grandchildren step into their shoes for good.

- Simon Fraser - Headlamp Studios

Team

Jenny Wilson, Julia Geisler

Executive Producers

Simon Fraser

Director

Sandra Salvas

Producer

Emily Trombly

Coordinator



 
 

Fall 2025 Progress

Thank you for your continued interest in the Alpenbock film. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance is in the final push to bring this story to the BIG screen and inspire Utahns to protect the historic and cultural landscapes and climbing heritage that define the Wasatch.

This past fall, the project reached an important milestone with successful on-rock filming in both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. We captured present-day climbing footage and interviews with Pitt Grewe, Toya Eastman, Karli Maynes, and Jaden Aland, alongside more legendary Alpenbock figures Milt Hokanson and George Lowe. We are thankful to all the Bocks for their willingness to share their story. These intergenerational perspectives—filmed on the same stone where Wasatch climbing history was forged—form the emotional and narrative core of the film.

Alpenbock Reels

TRIBUTES

Little Cottonwood Canyon Becomes a Historic Climbing Area

In August 2024, the Alpenbock Loop in Little Cottonwood Canyon—central to the story told in Alpenbock—became the nation’s first recreational climbing area listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation formally recognizes the cultural legacy captured in the film and reinforces the urgency of protecting these landscapes as climbing continues to grow. The Salt Lake Climbers Alliance serves as a Utah Cultural Site Steward for this historic area, working in partnership with the Salt Lake Ranger District and the State Historic Preservation Office to ensure ongoing stewardship, conservation, and education reflected throughout the film.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.