Skiing and Climbing Alaska’s Remarkable Ruth Gorge

Aug 4, 2014 by Contributor

By Scott Rinckenberger

When I was invited on a mission to spend two weeks climbing and skiing the Ruth Gorge in Denali National Park, I knew I’d have to bring some pretty serious equipment. Fortunately MSR was willing to help outfit the expedition. I’m exceedingly thankful for the gear, but that’s not all I picked up from the MSR HQ before my departure. I also ran into a long time friend, and while I was being told to “be safe” by nearly everyone who heard the plan, it was the words from my friend Diane which put me on the right track for the trip – “Listen to the mountains.”

Our plans included climbing lofty alpine walls in the Ruth Gorge, and climbing summits from their less-technical sides for some dizzying ski mountaineering descents. If you’ve never seen the Ruth Gorge, it is one of the world’s truly remarkable landscapes. The granite walls rise up 5000′ almost vertically from the glacier, giving the Ruth the feeling of an amplified version of Yosemite, with a floor of perpetually moving ice, and the tallest mountain on the North American continent as it’s source.

I was joined by Alaskan locals Tobey Carman and Cortney Kitchen, Jackson Hole native Patrick Wright, and my longtime skiing and climbing partner, Matt Henry from Washington. As the official photographer for the expedition, I’ll let the photos tell the story.

After a three day wait and our share of beers in the town of Talkeetna, which serves as the jumping-off point for flights into the Alaska Range, we were granted a brief weather window and were able to get a Talkeetna Air Taxi flight to the Ruth. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

2.In minutes, as the weather threatened to close down, our gear was unloaded, our pilot was onboard, and the plane roared to life and into the sky leaving an immense sense of quiet and the surreal realization that we were now totally isolated. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — In minutes, as the weather threatened to close down, our gear was unloaded, our pilot was onboard, and the plane roared to life and into the sky, leaving an immense sense of quiet and the surreal realization that we were now totally isolated. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

3.Is isn't until you start walking across the glacier without gaining any perceptible ground that you start to comprehend the scale of the Ruth. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — It isn’t until you start walking across the glacier without gaining any perceptible ground that you start to comprehend the scale of the Ruth. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

4.We set up camp at the base of a peak called The Stump in order to be in position to climb the classic routes in the vicinity. Our first morning dawned clear and we took the opportunity to scope and then attempt 'Goldfinger', which proved prohibitively wet from the solid week of storming before our arrival. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — We set up camp at the base of a peak called The Stump in order to be in position to climb the classic routes in the vicinity. Our first morning dawned clear and we took the opportunity to scope and then attempt ‘Goldfinger’, which proved prohibitively wet from the solid week of storming before our arrival. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

5.Subsequent days proved challenging for adventure as the rock remained wet, and severe instability plagued the snowpack on all aspects and elevations as a result of heavy storming before our arrival. We were forced to settle for exploratory tours on the floor of the gorge. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — Subsequent days proved challenging for adventure as the rock remained wet, and severe instability plagued the snowpack on all aspects and elevations as a result of heavy storming before our arrival. We were forced to settle for exploratory tours on the floor of the gorge. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Avalanches almost constantly poured down the massive faces of the gorge as the mountains worked to shed the burden of the recent snowfall. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Matt takes a break to melt some snow in the Reactor on a beta mission to the base of the Eye Tooth. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

After a period of unsettled weather, we were treated to a spectacular sunset featuring the towering mass of Mt. Barrill with the king of them all, Denali in the background. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

The next day dawned clear, and though the rock needed time to dry before it was good to go for climbing, the ropes, clothes, boot liners and tents dried in a flash, reducing the camp 'funk' exponentially. We used the bomb-proof Storm King tent as our primary shelter, while the Twin Brothers served as the living room. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — The next day dawned clear, and though the rock needed time to dry before it was good to go for climbing, the ropes, clothes, boot liners and tents dried in a flash, reducing the camp ‘funk’ exponentially. We used the bomb-proof Storm King tent as our primary shelter, while the Twin Brothers served as the living room. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Turquoise water and splitter granite. It sure is nice when the sun comes out in Alaska. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Matt Henry on a brilliant bit of crack climbing. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — Tobey Carman makes his way up an arête we dubbed ‘The Prow’. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Tobey Carman makes his way up an arête we dubbed 'The Prow'. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — Matt Henry on a brilliant bit of crack climbing. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Looking down at our tiny camp on the glacier from a few pitches up 'Goldfinger'. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — Looking down at our tiny camp on the glacier from a few pitches up ‘Goldfinger’. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

We attempted to make the best of the last weather window of the trip, which started late in the evening, but at 3am we were only half way up our 12 pitch objective, and the snow, wind and rain told us it was time to bail. On the upside, it's pretty fun to climb through the middle of the night without ever using a headlamp. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — We attempted to make the best of the last weather window of the trip, which started late in the evening, but at 3am we were only half way up our 12 pitch objective, and the snow, wind and rain told us it was time to bail. On the upside, it’s pretty fun to climb through the middle of the night without ever using a headlamp. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

The Stormking tent doing what it does best while we wait at the 'airstrip' in the middle of the glacier. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — The Stormking tent doing what it does best while we wait at the ‘airstrip’ in the middle of the glacier. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Though the plane couldn't come for us on our scheduled departure date due to weather, we were able to fly out the next day, each feeling blissed out from two weeks in paradise, yet nagged by the sensation that we still had so much to do. But, while our tick-list of objectives went largely unchecked, we were content in the fact that we had listened to the mountains, and that we made it home safe and hungry to plan the next adventure. And, as any climber or skier will tell you, that's all you can ask for in Alaska. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger — Though the plane couldn’t come for us on our scheduled departure date due to weather, we were able to fly out the next day, each feeling blissed-out from two weeks in paradise, yet nagged by the sensation that we still had so much to do. But, while our tick-list of objectives went largely unchecked, we were content in the fact that we had listened to the mountains, and that we made it home safe and hungry to plan the next adventure. And, as any climber or skier will tell you, that’s all you can ask for in Alaska. Photo: ©Scott Rinckenberger

Thanks to MSR, K2 Skis, Clif Bar and Mammut for the support on this expedition. To keep track of my ongoing adventures, visit www.scottrinck.com, facebook.com/scottrinck, or @scottrinck on Instagram and Twitter.

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