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Alaska Mountaineering Seminar: The Ruth Gorge
The incredible scale of Alaska’s Ruth Gorge seems reminiscent of Patagonia, but with better weather. The vast glaciers and towering alpine rock faces give breathtaking scenery and phenomenal mountaineering opportunities. The Ruth offers a superb arena to improve one’s alpine skills.
We created this trip for climbers wanting their first taste of Alaskan climbing. Participants will experience each aspect of Alaskan mountaineering, including glacier camping, glacier travel and icefall navigation. This trip teaches and reinforces the skills required for climbing serious peaks around the world. Our small 2:1 client-to-guide ratio allows for personalized instruction and flexibility.
After arriving in Anchorage we travel to Talkeetna, a small, historic and funky town that comes alive with climbers every summer. From Talkeetna we board a ski plane and take a stunning flight into the Ruth Gorge, where enormous Alaskan faces surround us. Snow, ice and granite dominate every view. We establish base camp near the landing zone and begin training for the climbing to come.
Our focus immediately turns to glacier travel, and the group starts honing its roped travel and crevasse rescue systems. We review and practice alpine ice techniques, route finding, avalanche assessment and rope ascension.
We climb our first objective, Mt. Barille (7,650’), via its west face. The climb itself ascends 2,000 vertical feet and involves 35-50 degree snow and ice. This climb provides the perfect opportunity to apply the skills from our training days. After climbing Barille we’ll pack-up our camp and, using sleds, move to our next objective. Possibilities include Explorer’s Peak, Mt. Dickey and The Incisor.
*If our scheduled climbs do not fit your needs, we can also schedule private dates for groups of 2 or more.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage and travel to Talkeetna
Day 2: Fly into Ruth Gorge and establish base camp
Day 3: Skills review
Day 4: Climb of Barrill
Day 5: Move camp to base of next objective
Day 6: Climb Explorer’s Peak, Mt. Dickey or The Incisor
Day 7: Move camp back to airstrip
Day 8: Fly back to Talkeetna
Day 9: Weather day
Day 10: Return home
Note: This is an approximate itinerary and may be adjusted according to weather, bush flight schedules, acclimatization, group speed and ability. Daylight hours are unusually long so we have a lot of time to refine our snow camping and climbing skills.
Additional Information
Cost Includes: An AMGA trained or certified guide, group camping & climbing equipment (tents, ropes, stoves, etc), transportation to Talkeetna, bush flight into the mountains, and food while in the mountains.
Cost Does Not Include: Domestic airfare to Anchorage, hotels stays in Anchorage or Talkeetna, food in towns or cities, cancellation or emergency evacuation, insurance, costs of a personal nature, or costs associated with flight or trip delays.
Travel & Insurance: All participants are expected to arrange their arrival and departure to and from Anchorage, AK. Upon registration our office will provide you with all relevant travel information, as well as suggestions for obtaining addtional travel insurance.
Registration and Cancelation: You will need to fill out a Expedition Application, cancellation policy agreement and a liability waiver, and send it to us with a 50% deposit. Balance is due 30 days prior to trip departure date. Please click on our Registration link to access the required forms.
Prerequisites: Participant need to have completed a 3 or 5 day mountaineering course or equivalent and also have multi-day backpacking and camping experience. Give us a call if you'd like to discuss!
*Southwest Adventure Guides provides these services as a booking agent for an authorized permit holder in Denali National Park. |
