Ciochetti's Ribbon or just "the Ribbon", is one of the Wasatch ski mountaineering lines that if you've skied up at Alta before, you've looked at it dozens of times. It's a thin strip of snow that traverses across a huge rocky cliff that is technically inbounds at Alta Ski Area. The exposure is huge and the quality of "linked" turns is debatable, however, the aesthetics of this line more than make up for it. In reality, unless you are trying to finish up all of the Chuting Gallery lines, the ribbon only excites the few bold skiers looking to step out of the normal Wasatch chute circuit. Those who are comfortable with exposure might find this line fairly tame, even though the constant threat of your edges seemingly peeling off the face is always there. Ultimately, some would describe the ribbon as a worthy objective if you find yourself with nothing better to do.
Begin by skinning up Albion Basin aiming for the top of the Sugarloaf lift. From the top of the lift you basically traverse directly to Devils Castle, briefly drop down then keep traversing to the beginning of the ramp.
For many, the actual physical crux of the ribbon comes when traversing past a large block in the first 1/4 of the route. Quite typically you have the choice to negotiate either skiing in front of the block, or climbing up and over. With low snow its common to just take off skis and climb right across.
Having the knowledge of climbing systems and anchors are a must. Most folks will choose to ski the ribbon once Alta closes for the season. Quite often one might find the ribbon easier after parties have already skied it because you have a track already put in, along with the route itself being potentially easier to ski with lower snow levels.
