RUTH GORGE + CASSIN // 2014

[fourteenfour]

Looking for a partner for the Ruth Gorge. A warm up trip for the Cassin. So preferably someone who is interested in climbing the Cassin in May/June.

 

Late March or early April (my schedule is pretty flexible, but I have a client commitment in Seattle on March 31st - So before or after that).

 

Mt. Dickey or Mt. Barrill (Japanese Couloir)

Mooses Tooth - Ham & Eggs

Peak 11,300

 

With ample skiing on the off days.

 

You know what it takes and the experience you should have.

 

Drop me a line on here or you can reach me by email for quicker response:

michael(at)michael-rowley.com

 

Cheers,

[DPS]

You know what it takes and the experience you should have.

 

Ummmm, walking up the dog route on Rainier 10 times?

[keenwesh]

If I can run a mile in under 6 minutes will I be able to make it up the cassin?

[ivan]

harshing on folks in the partner forum's generally considered poor form, fellas

[Kraken]

Hey FourteenFour, ditto what Ivan said. Screw the naysayers...someone always has to harsh another person's mellow. Give it a rest dudes.

 

 

My two-cents: If you go to the Ruth in late March and even early April, expect cold conditions. The days are getting longer, but the sun still doesn't have all that much power to it. Snow will be deep and unconsolidated, nights will still be long and ice will be less formed than mid april.

 

We went in to climb 11,300 in mid March one year and it took us TWO FULL DAYS of shoveling (literally vertical shoveling up Flake Gully, etc) to get to Thin Man's Squeeze. I'm talking two 10-12 hour days. A few weeks later when snow conditions had changed due to more sunlight, a friend climbed there in only several hours. We brought -30 bags on route and were glad to have them.

 

Check out Nick Aiello's recent trip report about his early April trip in to the Ruth last year and you will see exactly what I'm talking about: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1117308/Re_TR_Central_Alaska_Range_Moo#Post1117308

 

 

On the plus side, you will have the area more to yourself, the routes will all still be totally possible, but just not as well formed.

 

As for the Cassin, go for it. If time is limited, climb Rainier or at least go to Muir a few times before flying in, jet up to 14,000 on Denali single push (we did it in about 55 hours with a nice rest at 11K last year after acclimating on Hunter) and get free food from all the 14ers coming down (weather dependent). Go in late May. Worst case scenario, you climb the West Buttress, which you can make more challenging by attempting to summit from 14k.

 

Good luck. Fuck the naysayers. Slam a beer at the Fairview.

[Nick Aiello]

I humbly suggest that anyone going to the Ruth keeps their eyes wide open and doesn't limit his or herself to the guidebook. Spend a day at the NPS in Talkeetna looking through perhaps the Greatest Anthology of Climbing History that is not digitized, the new route binders. Bring enough food and comfort to basecamp so that you don't want to leave when the first storm comes up. And bring enough gear so that one bail doesn't force you to end your trip.

 

I'd also recommend the Messner Couloir on Denali as a way to acclimatize while also doing some semi-technical climbing. It's also a good way to test out how you do on a big day starting at 14,000', and has some beautiful views!

 

Basin Camp from about 18,000' on the Messner Couloir, 2010. I bailed off left at roughly 19,000' due to increasing windslab.

[Nick Aiello]

Oh and also slam at least one beer at the Fairview.

 

... It's sad that anyone even needs to be told....