150 years ago, naturalists and thrill-seekers formed Colorado's first mountaineering club

AI Summary

Colorado's first mountaineering club, the Rocky Mountain Club, was formed in Colorado Springs 150 years ago. The club's founding chair, Robert Lamborn, spoke of a longing to "climb upward into the grand and mysterious world of cliff and cañon and Alpine valley." The club was modeled on European alpine clubs and aimed to have a library of maps and books about the area. The club did not last long, but it was the first of its kind in Colorado and a tradition of alpine clubs has continued.