Ruth Gorge Info

[msmither]

I'm trying to plan a trip to the Ruth Gorge for this May and am looking for some general info on the region. My main questions at this point are:

 

Weather: I feel like I haver read plenty about what to expect weather wise on Denali, but I'm not sure how that relates to the lower altitudes of Ruth Gorge. Is is usually much warmer or do you still need to be geared up for -20? How frequent are clear weather days in the gorge in May?

 

Flights: any recommendations for a plane service into the glacier, and how much does it cost?

 

Routes: I've read about some of the most popular routes on various websites and the wood/coombs guidebook but was wondering if there are any other good sources for info on a wide array of routes. I'm looking at the lower end of techincal difficulty.

 

Thanks for any and all info!

[Kraken]

yeah dude, here's what you need to know.

 

Sleeping bag: go with the -20. you can always open it up if you get to warm, but it's harder to get warm if you are freezing.

 

Flights: Go with K2 out of Talkeetna.

 

Routes: Check out rockclimber.com's section on the ruth.

http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/listArea.php?AreaID=510 it has a few cool routes, but your best bet is just to pick up a book or talk to people on web forums.

 

Good luck!

[DPS]

I was in the Ruth for the first two weeks of May. The weather sucked, only 3 days it did not snow. I used a 15 degree bag and was plenty warm. The coldest it got was 19 degrees on top of Mt Barille (open bivi). Remember, you will be camped at around 5,000 feet so it will be considerably warmer than Denali.

 

Fly with Talkeetna Air Taxi, they will fly you anywhere in the gorge, whereas the other flight services will only drop you off at the Mountain House. Expect to pay 350.00 or so.

 

For easier routes consider Japenese Couloir on Mt Barille, Mt Dan Beard, and West Face of Mt Dickey. Stepping it up a notch SW Ridge of Peak 11,300 and Ham and Eggs on Mooses Tooth. Also, you may want to PM joepuryear. He is good source for a lot of information.

[specialed]

The earlier the better for the Ruth. Also seems like a lot of weather gets stuck down there while its alot nicer up higher like at the Kahiltna. I had shitty weather there in June.

[wfinley]

What type of routes are you looking at? The Ruth has everything from wild to mild so you need to be specific; i.e. - snow, ice or rock; steepness / your comfort level etc.. Also - fly with Talkeetna Air Taxi - IMHO they're the best.