Neptune Mountaineering: A Colorado Climbing Tradition and the End of an Era
An Interview with Gary Neptune, January 2014
By Rick Casey
As anyone who climbs or backcountry skis in Boulder knows, Neptune Mountaineering is no ordinary mountaineering shop. And if you spend enough time there – or happen to attend one of the Thursday night shows that both inform and entertain – you are likely to meet the person who is responsible for the vision that created this venerable institution that is so treasured by so many: none other than Gary Neptune, who can still be seen walking around the shop, tending to business, barefoot, as is his wont.
Gary (on the left) at his first shop on 30th Street, 1973. Photo by Gary Neptune
This article is based on an interview I recently conducted with Gary, which I wanted to do for a couple of reasons. The first reason was the fact that the shop had been sold at the end of 2012 to a Texas corporation, Backwoods Retail. That sale prompted me to wonder. What would this mean for the cultural aspects of this revered shop? Would the new owner recognize and value the social capital associated with its history? Secondly, would Gary’s strong support of the CMC over its history be recognized and preserved into the future? When I approached Gary with the idea, he was enthusiastic in wanting to do the interview and answer these questions. First and foremost, it needs to be stated that Gary’s support of the CMC has been generous and unstinting over the years. The store has given a 10 percent discount to CMC members since it opened on April 1, 1973; in addition, CMC instructors and trip leaders received even greater discounts. 34
Trail & Timberline
Just imagine how large an amount that has been over 41 years! How many mountaineering shops have offered that level of community support? I cannot think of one. It should also be noted that beyond the price discounts, the Boulder CMC group has subleased its space for its clubroom from Neptune Mountaineering since 2000. A spacious area (the current location of the Yoga Loft) was rented for years at well below market rates. The current clubroom location, when a smaller space was renegotiated and remodeled, was created in 2010. This sublease arrangement has continued with the new ownership of the shop and has worked out well. My first contact with Neptune Mountaineering was in 1981 when I moved to Colorado. I purchased some mountaineering sunglasses at the shop when it was on 30th Street. Gary had started this shop after working for Holubar, an early supplier of mountaineering equipment. The
Holubar managers cultivated a culture of customer loyalty based on employees who shared their passion for the outdoors. Gary brought that passion and loyalty to Neptune Mountaineering. My first question to Gary was if he had a real plan when he opened his shop. And he quickly replied, “Not really. I just desperately wanted to live close to mountains!” This tremendous zeal for climbing and the outdoors leaps out from the photographs of Gary’s early trips, such as when he and his climbing partner rode their motorcycles from Colorado to southern Utah to climb Shiprock, which was little known at the time. In the early years of the shop, when the climbing community was quite small, he focused on boot repair for the more steady income than what selling climbing gear brought in. The climbing community was very close knit, and another climbing shop was not seen as a competitive threat but
