Gold Butte Closer to Opening…Or is It?

From the Aspen Daily News comes this information about the possible reopening of an old climbing area right outside the town of Aspen. The deal will basically be decided by whether the owner of the land gets what he wants in regards to what he can build on the property. If he gets a satisfactory deal, the climbing area will reopen, along with an ice flow:

“Two climbing areas — an ice wall called “Sewer Falls” and a rock climb named “Gold Butte” — would become county land if the current proposal goes through.

Mountaineer Dick Jackson, founder of Aspen Expeditions, wrote a letter supporting the land deal.

Climber Bob Wade addressed commissioners, explaining that the areas were very popular for climbers from the 1960s to the 1980s, when the owner kicked them off the land.

“This is an opportunity for a nice recreational amenity for the community,” said Wade, adding that the climbs are closer to town and more accessible than the popular areas up toward Independence Pass.”

And more from the Aspen Times:

“With the latest proposal, Gold Butte and an ice climbing area were offered to the county. Both are located above the Rio Grande Trail and below McLain Flats.

Commissioners previously voiced concerns about the liability of owning a climbing area, but County Attorney John Ely advised them to consider the merits of the proposal and not be tripped up by that issue. There are some protections for the county under state law, he said.

“I would not allow the liability issues to dissuade you from considering the value of this kind of amenity,” Ely said.

The local climbing community would happily get involved in setting routes and constructing a trail to access the area, said Bob Wade, owner of local gear shop Ute Mountaineer and an avid climber. It would be a popular spot if it is reopened to the public, he predicted.

“The climbing community is together on this,” agreed Dirk Bockelmann, general manager of Aspen Expeditions. “I don’t think there’s any dissension in our loose organization.”

Commissioners appeared willing to take on the climbing area, though the other sticking points may prevent the amenity from coming into public hands.”

I know the Aspen locals would really like to see this happen, as you can climb at Gold Butte on sunny winter days, while most of the Pass is still buried under several feet of snow. It would create a year-round climbing resource where there hasn’t been one for quite some time. Unfortunately, there’s not much climbers can do to help in this situation, unless you are good friends with the guy who owns the land and can convince him to take the deal and open the crag! 😉