The 2,000' sheer west face of the Gargoyle Buttress is but a bump in the Ruth Glacier, situated across the valley from the 3k tall east face of Mt. Barrill and the 5k tall east face of Mount Dickey.

Checking out the view from Munchkin/Royal Tower col in our first  hours on the ground.  We were sick with powder fever for the first few days of the trip and skied until 11pm some nights due to the abundant and quality powder snow conditions which blanketed these valleys and cirques nearby the Pika Glacier.

A view of our campsite with the plane ski tracks poised in front of the gorgeous west face of The Trolls.  We will be returning in mid-June to make ascents of these fantastic rock buttresses, including the Middle Troll  - III 5.8.

The east face of the Royal Tower is a 2,000' high granite massif with amazing rock and mixed climbing potential. We saw dozens of routes that were in great ice condition during our time on the Pika, and with all of the climbers in the range searching for minimal ice on the Ruth Glacier, it seems that the potential here for new mixed routes is huge.

Mid-way through our trip, we did a huge journey across four glacier systems which included this climb of the 1,600' southeast couloir on Your Highness and concluded with a ski descent of the north facing glaciers that dump into the  grand Kahiltna Glacier.  With more than 13 miles of skiing and 4k of climbing, we slept in the next morning after this big adventure.

Chewi and Arnold making an exposed traverse across the southern flanks of Your Highness (8,110'), with the southern edge of the Alaska Range and the town of Talkeetna, approx. 30 miles in the distance.

Arnold at the downward conclusion of our ski descent through two icefalls, across three peaks and about half-way through our 13 mile journey.

The slow uphill grind up the Pika Glacier and back to our camp, just below the furthest sunlit arete in the distance- only 5 miles to go

 Although it was cold in the morning hours (0F), we stayed relatively warm and sheltered inside of our kitchen tent and along with fresh coffee, we enjoyed breakfasts of bacon/cheese omelets and grilled bagels with cream cheese.  

Evening meals were a mix of grilled burritos, pasta with sauces and on this evening, Arnold's favorite of sausage and onions grilled to perfection and served over penne pasta.  Freeze-dried meals are for those who can't cook or have to carry huge packs and on this 'plane-camping" trip,  we had no problem eating well in the wilds of Alaska.

Our minimum-impact campsite on the Pika Glacier was just 100' from where we were dropped off, and we saw only two planes for our entire week in the peaks.  Some of our favorite north-facing powder filled ski slopes are in the background.  The left-hand rock ridge is the Munchkin.

Chewi setting the track up to Munchkin Col in the afternoon light.  Blue skies were the weather pattern for almost our entire trip.  A foot of new powder fell on our second night and by noon the next day, the sun returned and it was sunburn that created one of the bigger risks of our adventure.

• Scandinavian Peaks