Property in Unaweep

Who wants to own a cliff? One of the best beginner crags in Unaweep is currently for sale and we’d like to see a climber buy it. So, if you’ve ever thought about living with a 200-300 foot tall cliff in your back yard this could be a great opportunity. Most of the development on the Sun Towers is in the 5.9 and under range but there is a lot of potential for more route development. The cliff is currently closed and if a climber friendly person doesn’t buy it, we could lose access forever.

The Western Colorado Climbers’ Coalition would love to buy this property as we have a few other properties but it is a bit our of our price range, by a lot. We would however love to work with someone to negotiate an easement that would alleviate any potential liability. If you are interested you can email us at western_co_climbers@hotmail.com

WCCC Board Member
Randall Chapman

Zillow

MP

Randall Chapman wrote: Who wants to own a cliff? One of the best beginner crags in Unaweep is currently for sale and we’d like to see a climber buy it. So, if you’ve ever thought about living with a 200-300 foot tall cliff in your back yard this could be a great opportunity. Most of the development on the Sun Towers is in the 5.9 and under range but there is a lot of potential for more route development. The cliff is currently closed and if a climber friendly person doesn’t buy it, we could lose access forever.

The Western Colorado Climbers’ Coalition would love to buy this property as we have a few other properties but it is a bit our of our price range, by a lot. We would however love to work with someone to negotiate an easement that would alleviate any potential liability. If you are interested you can email us at western_co_climbers@hotmail.com

WCCC Board Member
Randall Chapman

Zillow

MP

Maybe the owner would be interested in trades ... I’ve got a black Totem and a pair of 42 Katakis ...

Looks like a tough sell - seems overpriced compared to adjacent properties that are superior, and the only access to the rocks appears to very visible to the property owner.  I don't see a climber buying this, more like a retiree or a hermit.

Bill Schick wrote: Looks like a tough sell - seems overpriced compared to adjacent properties that are superior, and the only access to the rocks appears to very visible to the property owner.  I don't see a climber buying this, more like a retiree or a hermit.

Agreed that it appears to be almost $90k about the Zillow estimated value. 

It's a dream property imop. Not a hermit. Just hate the front range. Crag seems less than exciting though.

Suggest that you contact the Access Fund.

Been watching it. If price drops some ill snag it. 

It is currently under contract

Jack Pain wrote: It is currently under contract

Cross your fingers.

Jack Pain wrote: Been watching it. If price drops some ill snag it. 

That worked out well.  If you wanted it for a price, you should have made your offer.

I wonder about buying the property in cases like this, recording the legal changes necessary to ensure access, then putting it right back on the market with the modified deed.

Bill Schick wrote: I wonder about buying the property in cases like this, recording the legal changes necessary to ensure access, then putting it right back on the market with the modified deed.

This is what we did with TV Wall and Cave buttress. We bought both properties with a loan from the Access Fund then subdivided and sold the build able land in front of the cliff. Those properties didn't have houses on them so the commitment wasn't as high as the prices of both properties were significantly lower. Took several years but we finally got it all paid off in 2018. 

Randall Chapman wrote:

This is what we did with TV Wall and Cave buttress. We bought both properties with a loan from the Access Fund then subdivided and sold the build able land in front of the cliff. Those properties didn't have houses on them so the commitment wasn't as high as the prices of both properties were significantly lower. Took several years but we finally got it all paid off in 2018. 

The WCCC rocks. Just re-upped my membership. If you climb on the Slope, consider supporting this excellent group.

Randall Chapman wrote:

This is what we did with TV Wall and Cave buttress. We bought both properties with a loan from the Access Fund then subdivided and sold the build able land in front of the cliff. Those properties didn't have houses on them so the commitment wasn't as high as the prices of both properties were significantly lower. Took several years but we finally got it all paid off in 2018. 

I guess what I was wondering is if there is a legal tool you can apply against the property that can't be modified - ie, Access Fund or somesuch owns a permanent easement that no future owner can change w/o buying the rights back.  This avoids the cost and complexity of subdividing, and certainly you can re-sell the property quicker and for more money than putting a smaller lot back on the market.  New owner can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't prevent climbing.

F r i t z wrote:

The WCCC rocks. Just re-upped my membership. If you climb on the Slope, consider supporting this excellent group.

Thanks Fritz, Very cool plug.

Bill Schick wrote:

I guess what I was wondering is if there is a legal tool you can apply against the property that can't be modified - ie, Access Fund or somesuch owns a permanent easement that no future owner can change w/o buying the rights back.  This avoids the cost and complexity of subdividing, and certainly you can re-sell the property quicker and for more money than putting a smaller lot back on the market.  New owner can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't prevent climbing.

like this?

https://www.basementmedicine.org/campus-community/2017/11/29/crag-vt-buys-bolton-dome/

Bill Schick wrote:

I guess what I was wondering is if there is a legal tool you can apply against the property that can't be modified - ie, Access Fund or somesuch owns a permanent easement that no future owner can change w/o buying the rights back.  This avoids the cost and complexity of subdividing, and certainly you can re-sell the property quicker and for more money than putting a smaller lot back on the market.  New owner can do whatever they want, as long as it doesn't prevent climbing.

Yes. People sell easements to other people all the time. But this property appears unique in that the crag is on the property itself, rather than simply on the other side of it. That makes it more complicated. Anyone who grants permission to climb there is likely to want to reserve rights to withdraw those permissions in some future date if the situation changes. Nobody wants an outlaw circus in their backyard and no way to rein it in. 

We always try to negotiate an easement first and sometimes that falls through after it is negotiated, this is one such case. The couple that lives just to the east of this property are awesome and built a parking area and trail up to the crag inviting people to come climb. The owner of this particular property had allowed climbing there up until recently. I've taken beginners here for years, Betty and Rays was my go to for teaching multi pitch for years before I put up Scanners and Dreamscape on Middle Mothers. Purchasing the property is always our last recourse when other negotiations don't work, but it is also the only way to guarantee access forever. When this property sells we will start negotiations once again to try and regain access and if possible a legal easement. Most people are unwilling to shrink the size and therefore the value of their property unless they get something for it. If a climber buys it, the negotiations are much easier.  

When Middle and Upper Mothers came up for sale in 2007 the Petersons, supper awesome people from Gunnison CO, purchased the property. A combination of them donating some of the property and the WCCC raising money to buy the rest from them we sub-dived off the cliff and they kept the land in front of it. If it wasn't for their generosity and willingness to help we would likely have lost those cliffs as well as access to the BLM land adjacent with Other Mothers and the Outback. My hope with this post was that an agreement such as this could be made or some other easement negotiated.  

We work very closely with the Access Fund, they talked us into forming a local coalition in 2007, we are a chapter/partner of the AF. AF has been working in this canyon for a very long time, in fact the first property they ever purchased to preserve for climbing was in the early 90s in this canyon about a half mile from this property that is for sale. This photo shows the property that has been purchased by the Access Fund as well as the WCCC with the help and guidance of the AF. Red is our properties, yellow is BLM land, the rest is all private property. You can go to the county GIS site and see the property lines of the entire canyon. It all looks like this where the cliff is either on or behind someones property with no public access. We, with the help and guidance of the Access Fund, are in constant negotiations to gain access to what we can. Thank you everyone for your interest, we will post an update when we have more information.  

Bitter Trad wrote: Trying to clarify the comment that the property is under contract?

That is correct

You all give me hope for the future. Thank you for what you do. I fought an access issue on private property for about 9 months and the owner wouldn’t budge at all. It tore me up like something fierce and still does. 

Thank you everyone for your interest, we have been informed that the property has been recently sold. WCCC and Access Fund will do our best to work with the new owners to consider climbing access. We ask that climbers continue to respect the Sun Towers closure so as to not jeopardize possible future access. We will post an update as soon as we have more information.

Randall Chapman wrote: Thank you everyone for your interest, we have been informed that the property has been recently sold. WCCC and Access Fund will do our best to work with the new owners to consider climbing access. We ask that climbers continue to respect the Sun Towers closure so as to not jeopardize possible future access. We will post an update as soon as we have more information.

Randall you the man thx for all you do