Mali Noyes Skis All 93 Lines in The Chuting Gallery in Just 47 Days

Ski mountaineer and nurse Mali Noyes has etched her name into the Utah backcountry skiing record books by becoming the fastest person—man or woman—to complete every line in Andrew McLean’s classic guidebook, The Chuting Gallery. Over the course of just 47 days, Noyes skied 93 of the Wasatch Range’s most technical, avalanche-prone chutes, a project she dubbed “Project Rapid Fire." 

What’s even more astonishing? She did it while juggling an on-call nursing schedule at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City.

From Hospital Shifts to Dawn Patrols

Noyes began the project on March 12, 2025, just hours after finishing a nursing shift. Starting late in the season was intentional— avalanche risk would ideally be lower— yet it presented other challenges, namely warming temperatures. She started with a double-header: Twin Peak’s east face and the technical Stairs Gulch. That day set the tone for what would be a relentless, unpredictable tour of the Wasatch’s steepest terrain.

She skied 77 lines in the first 37 days—taking just seven rest days—often waking at 1 A.M. to beat melting snow. Despite having skied many of the chutes before, the pressure of completing all 93 in succession created unique and unpredictable conditions.

Her background as a Nordic racer gave her the endurance, but the project demanded far more than physical fitness. Many descents required rappels, route recalculations, and countless audibles. Noyes had to dig deep to stay alert and continually make good choices.

“The crux for me hasn’t been the vert,” Noyes told Ski Magazine. “My brain has been doing so much decision-making day after day... I feel a little trapped in the process.”

Constant risk assessment takes serious brain power-- it’s hard to imagine how she maintained a clear head after 47 days.

Rapid Fire stats: (Per Mali's Instagram)

- 47 days (just over 6 weeks)
- 93 chutes skied
- 8 rest days
- 8 bails
- Over 200,000ft of vert climbed
- 300 hours spent skiing (or accessing or egressing skiing)
- 25 different ski partners
- Best day of skiing - Kessler quad - linking E, W, God’s Lawnmower and Argenta in a day
- Worst day of skiing - Kings Peak - it’s not even in the Wasatch?!
- The most fun in bad conditions - dancing to Fetty Wap in Heart of Darkness
- Worst experience - avoiding wet loose and dry loose avalanches on Lisa Falls
- Biggest line score day - 17 chutes with Wolvy Cirque and Seagull in a day
- First day - E Twin and Stairs
- Last day - Monte Cristo Gully, Memorial #1 and #4
- The day I cried twice - Day 24
- Number of days using ropes - 12
- Earliest wakeup - 1am for The Grunge
- Latest finish - 10pm for The Great White Icicle on snowblades
- The only ski snack I didn’t get sick of - gels
- The line that scared me the most but was actually fun - Ciochetti’s Ribbon
- Ways I approached Hogum - 4 different ways on 4 different days

As snow began to melt in April, the challenge intensified. Many couloirs grew unstable by mid-morning, forcing shorter windows for safe skiing. Some days she bushwhacked into remote zones only to ski one line—zones that, in better snow years, she could have linked more efficiently.

Noyes wrapped up the 93rd line on April 27th, only to clock back into the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake much too soon after.

Despite the challenges, Mali Noyes has set the bar even higher for spring backcountry missions. Her feat will not soon be forgotten. Congrats to Mali and all involved with “Project Rapid Fire”!