Damnation Gully - The Crown Jewel of Steep Skiing in the White Mountains

For as long as I've skied in this range, I've wanted to ski Damnation Gully. Years of ski experience, coupled with more recent years of rock and ice climbing, paired with near perfect conditions on this outing, allowed that to happen. Watch opportunity meet preparation in this new edit!

[@meiocheng817]

What a beautiful day for you! I enjoyed that, and I wasn't even skiing!

[@matthewgallant3622]

So epic. The White Mountains are truly incredible. Idk if I’ll ever do Damnation Gully but I’ve done Tuckerman and it’s an insane place.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

It’s mega. Tucks still never loses that intimating vibe when you’re in there for the first time of the season! Damnation is a great line and if some day you change your mind, it’ll be there!

[@matthewgallant3622]

@@extreme_ryan_delena That’s what’s great, the mountains are always there. All about skill, that’s it. I’ll do anything, so long as I know I’m able. I snowboard and I’m pretty good, but I’d want to get some more experience in the backcountry first.

[@word67]

Great skiing -- and production that does it justice. Really stellar I enjoyed it.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Thank you

[@francinetunnera1969]

Omg !!! That was a beautiful video!! And great music

[@AnthonyRestuccia]

Amazing skiing Ryan. I'm going to have to hire you to guide me at Tucks. In 40+ years of skiing, I've not done it... yet... :) Keep up the great content.

[@fredeschen3783]

Nice movie dude. The best East Coast ski footage I’ve seen.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Thank you !

[@TrailerParkSupervisor]

Great vid and impressive skiing/descent!!! You guys are nuts, keep it up!

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Thank you! More on the way

[@edwardjosephbrennan]

awesome report, thank you

[@michaelvachon1334]

Wait... Where's the chair-lift? The groomers? Your cajones must be the size of Mt Washington! I was gasping and I'm only WATCHING the video. Amazing stuff.

[@izzyrisitano1968]

Footage looking crisp. DAMN(nation).

[@maxpower5499]

Nice video, but what is with skiing down right above people hiking up? I see so many videos of people doing this in the area.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Oftentimes you can’t see them until you’re right there on those meandering lines. Plus in this range we most often climb the lines we ski, so it’s common to have up/down traffic.

[@mtadams2009]

It’s never really been an issue. I think it looks worst in the videos. I generally slow down a bit but it’s never been an issue for me. It’s all good.

[@georgec.7406]

Amazing man!

[@luckmc2874]

What model elan ripstick do you have? What do you think of them? I was thinking of buying the ripstick 96 black edition.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

I have the 106 black edition and I’m a big fan. They’re a little stiff, which can take some getting used to, but I’ve yet to find a line I couldn’t ski in em!

[@luckmc2874]

@@extreme_ryan_delena for mainly east coast skiing but some trips out west would you recommend the 96 or 106 underfoot?

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

@@luckmc2874 probably the 96

[@andrewwallus847]

Dang! Best Ive seen from the Whites...even better Cody Townsends 50 vid. Dope.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Appreciate that man! Haha we did get both classics in a day now that I think about it 🤔

[@andrewwallus847]

@@extreme_ryan_delena haha yup! Conditions looked friggin amazing...

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

@@andrewwallus847 we nailed it so hard haha

[@Geoffroist]

Hell yeah brother!

[@michaellinkroum4803]

The lower part of the mountain (trail) had deep gullies or holes in the snow,very sketchy!

[@NicholasAGoldsmith]

Nice job.

[@GetUpTheMountains]

Goddamn mang. That is full on.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

It was an epic day !

[@norton23jer]

Lets goooo this is so sick

[@ervinslens]

Outstanding place to explore with a stunning nature's scenery! Gorgeous video friend!

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Thank you !

[@NicholasLeader0]

How or are rock nuts cleaned on the down climb?

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

We left those pieces fixed so the rap anchor could be utilized by others. Multiple other parties skied it that season so it was a worthy investment!

[@MikeWasley-r6f]

is it de rigeur to abseil off a cairn of rocks for you guys ?

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

We didn’t abseil off it. Brett just used it to belay me on while I went to the edge to scope out a cornice. I was walking on flat ground so the idea was if a cornice broke, it would give me enough security to self arrest, but ultimately would only need to hold less than body weight. After that, I unroped and we skied into that clean entrance I scoped. That being said, if you did need to rappel, this thing probably weighs one ton and is built like a driveway stone wall, so you could probably get away with it.

[@nickhohl]

What time of year was this?

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Mid March

[@stephenclark15]

nice dude! when was this?

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

March 22

[@TrailRunnerLife]

fkn 10/10

[@Chrisc3a]

🙌 👏

[@jackdaigle]

🔥🔥🔥

[@macrodose0215]

what. a. day.

[@Project_Prescott]

bro made it onto an article

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

Oh where at

[@dashtheautoman]

In those conditions, rope not necessary. Those landings were wider and cleaner than the entry you had already skied.

[@extreme_ryan_delena]

I don’t know if you could tell in the video but I was right at the ends of my rope so it was a 30m rappel. The landing was also on a spine above another small ice bulge and the gully curves. Yes it could be dropped, but if I fell I could’ve died, so too much risk for me. Maybe someone else.