Alaska, and the Ruth Gorge in particular, contain some of the finest terrain on earth for cutting-edge Alpinism. And as this season rolls around, more Cilogear packs than ever will make an appearance on Alaska’s high peaks. In 2008, Alpinist featured nearly a dozen separate newswire entries featuring our packs in Alaska, and the favorite models for folks on demanding technical routes have been the 45L and 40B.
John Frieh snaps Doug Shepherds Butt on the Escalator.
This year the trend has been to go even lighter. We know of several teams aiming for big objectives with 30L packs. A couple of teams have already accomplished big, long routes with their 30L packs. Check out John Frieh and Doug Shepherd’s Trip Report over on Cascade Climbers.
The 30L is an amazingly versatile model, and will hold much more than most people imagine. Some anonymous users (such as an over-worked 6’7″ fellow who recently moved to Portland) find the 45L model simply works better for long torsos, but otherwise suggests the 40B or 30L models. If you’ve got plans for a single-push climb in Alaska this spring, consider the a lightweight new backpack and let us know about your climb!
