Strengthening Partnerships on the Alpenbock Loop

SLCA Hosts The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints Staff for a Site Visit

Earlier this month, the Salt Lake Climbers Alliance welcomed staff from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a guided tour of the Alpenbock Loop Historic Climbing Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The visit marked nearly a decade of partnership and shared stewardship in one of the Wasatch’s most iconic climbing landscapes.

SLCA maintains a long-term recreational lease with the Church for the Gate Buttress property, which sits directly adjacent to U.S. Forest Service land where the Alpenbock Loop is located. While these areas are divided on paper, the landscape—and its history—is shared. The climbing legacy that defines the Alpenbock Loop extends across both public and private lands, making stewardship here inseparable.

That lease is more than a document—it reflects an ongoing relationship with people who care deeply about the canyon. Over the years, SLCA and the Church have worked side-by-side to keep access open, maintain trails, educate climbers, and ensure use stays within designated areas—balancing recreation with respect for private land.

During the tour, SLCA staff highlighted stewardship and education efforts that extend across both the Alpenbock Loop and the Gate Buttress parcel. In lower Little Cottonwood Canyon, boundaries may exist on a map, but on the ground it’s one landscape—sharing the same climbing legacy, routes, and responsibility for care.

For many of the visiting Church staff, the connection was personal—several were climbers themselves or had family members who climb in the canyon. Experiencing the area firsthand deepened their understanding of both its value and the care required to protect it.

This visit reaffirmed what makes the Wasatch climbing community strong: collaboration, respect, and shared investment in the future of these landscapes. SLCA is grateful for the Church’s continued trust and partnership, and we look forward to many more years of working together to protect access and preserve the character and history of Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Interested in experiencing this history? Check out our Historic Hike page or reach out to schedule a tour.