By Tom Beckwith

For two years now, climbers hoping to complete their goal of summitting all of the state’s fourteen thousand foot peaks have had an additional obstacle added to the challenges of terrain, weather, and altitude.

The new owners of the land that encompasses Culebra Peak in southern Colorado have severely limited access to their property. The CMC, under the leadership of Steve Bonowski, has negotiated one climb each of the past two summers. With the exception of a couple of privately authorized climbs in 2000, the owners routinely deny permission to climb the peak except for the CMC trip.

In order to recognize the property rights of the owners, as well as discourage trespass, Trail & Timberline magazine has established an editorial policy not to recognize climbers who have climbed Culebra Peak illegally.

The magazine assumes that any climb of Culebra other than an “official” CMC climb is a “pirate” climb. Consequently, if climbers have obtained individual permission to summit the peak, they should submit written documentation of that fact at the time they notify the club of the completion of their goal so that it will be recognized in the pages of the magazine.

Tom Beckwith is publications manager of the Colorado Mountain Club and serves as editor of Trail & Timberline magazine.