At 7 p.m. on February 18, 2025, skiers in Jackson Hole will join others across the U.S. and Italy in honoring the 80th anniversary of one of the most daring mountain assaults in military history—the 10th Mountain Division’s legendary 1945 ascent of Riva Ridge.
The Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge is an annual ski mountaineering event that commemorates the 10th’s pivotal role in breaking Hitler’s Gothic Line, a turning point in World War II.
Founded by Christian Beckwith, producer of the award-winning Ninety-Pound Rucksack podcast, the Challenge reflects not just the 10th’s wartime heroics but also their lasting legacy in American skiing. After the war, more than 2,000 10th Mountain veterans became ski instructors, opened ski schools, and developed resorts like Aspen, Vail, and Mt. Bachelor.
The February 1945 ascent of Riva Ridge precipitated the German surrender of Italy and hastened the end of World War II. Climbing under cover of darkness, some 1,000 10th Mountain Division soldiers began their ascent of Riva Ridge on February 18, 1945, at 7:00 p.m. Wearing “rucksacks” that weighed up to 50 pounds, they scaled the escarpment via four separate routes that ranged from 1,500 to 2,500 feet long. By morning, they had taken the ridge without a single American casualty. Their pivotal action shattered the Gothic Line, a heavily fortified stretch of summits and ridges that had stalled Allied advances for more than 500 days.
In honor of their heroic action, the first Ninety-Pound Rucksack Challenge was held at 7 p.m. on February 18, 2024, in three locations around the country: Whiteface Mountain, NY, where early incarnations of the mountain troops learned to ski; Ski Cooper, Colorado, where the 10th Mountain Division trained; and Mt. Glory on Teton Pass in Jackson Hole. The 10th Mountain Division’s motto was, and is, “Climb to Glory.”
Word of the tribute spread. On the eve of the 2025 Challenge, more than a dozen ascents have been planned, including an ascent of Riva Ridge by members of the US Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Ski areas across the U.S. will also participate, including locations in Colorado, New York, Vermont, Washington, Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, Idaho, and Wyoming.
“This isn’t just about remembering history—it’s about leaning into it,” said Beckwith. “This event honors the courage and legacy of the 10th Mountain Division soldiers, as well as their ongoing impact on American skiing and outdoor recreation.”
Participating areas in the 2025 Challenge include the following: