Post by Gregory Wagner on Aug 12, 2014 0:38:03 GMT -5
The Wilson Massif, which might also be known as the San Miguel Range, is a compact subrange of the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado. The range is remote and steep and one of the most southerly and westerly ranges containing peaks over 14,000 feet in the state.
The "Grand Slam" consists of climbing the four highest peaks in the range: Mount Wilson (14,252'), El Diente (14,159'), Wilson Peak (14,017'), and Gladstone Peak (13,913'). The peaks are steep and rugged and ascending them all requires climbing at least a little bit of Class 4 rock, plenty of route finding, and some care in occasionally loose and dangerous terrain. Some views from the approximate half-way (or a little before half-way) point:
El Diente from Mount Wilson...
Gladstone Peak and Wilson Peak from Mount Wilson...
I think a sensible FKT for this beautiful group of peaks should exist for the round trip climbing all four peaks by any route. The exact route each party takes may differ somewhat depending on the strengths of the party or route conditions.
I completed the Grand Slam this past Sunday, August 10th. My time, which does not really do the route justice, and is more of a placeholder or an "Only Known Time", was 8h50m.
My route involved about 18 miles and 8,000 feet of elevation gain. I used the Navajo Lake Trail. I climbed the North Buttress of El Diente, and then traversed to Mount Wilson. I descended the North Ridge of Mount Wilson to a point at around 13,150 feet between Mount Wilson and Gladstone. I then climbed Gladstone via a couloir on it's Southwest Face. I left the couloir below the top and climbed a steep side chute with a dihedral of sorts which offered steep fourth and maybe some low fifth class climbing, and ended about 20 feet below the summit on the SW ridge. Finishing to the summit via the couloir and North ridge would be a fine and perhaps safer option. I then descended Gladstone by its North Ridge and traversed to the normal route up Wilson Peak. In this section it is probably best to drop from the ridge crest to a bench below to make the traverse to Wilson Peak: where and how one would do this is a matter of judgement (I don't think I took the fastest route here). From Wilson Peak, I descended to the notch above the Rock of Ages saddle, and then followed the trail down into Navajo Basin and back to the trailhead.
My GPS track:
www.strava.com/activities/178540343
The Wilsons have some fine scrunbling to offer... you should go!
The "Grand Slam" consists of climbing the four highest peaks in the range: Mount Wilson (14,252'), El Diente (14,159'), Wilson Peak (14,017'), and Gladstone Peak (13,913'). The peaks are steep and rugged and ascending them all requires climbing at least a little bit of Class 4 rock, plenty of route finding, and some care in occasionally loose and dangerous terrain. Some views from the approximate half-way (or a little before half-way) point:
El Diente from Mount Wilson...
Gladstone Peak and Wilson Peak from Mount Wilson...
I think a sensible FKT for this beautiful group of peaks should exist for the round trip climbing all four peaks by any route. The exact route each party takes may differ somewhat depending on the strengths of the party or route conditions.
I completed the Grand Slam this past Sunday, August 10th. My time, which does not really do the route justice, and is more of a placeholder or an "Only Known Time", was 8h50m.
My route involved about 18 miles and 8,000 feet of elevation gain. I used the Navajo Lake Trail. I climbed the North Buttress of El Diente, and then traversed to Mount Wilson. I descended the North Ridge of Mount Wilson to a point at around 13,150 feet between Mount Wilson and Gladstone. I then climbed Gladstone via a couloir on it's Southwest Face. I left the couloir below the top and climbed a steep side chute with a dihedral of sorts which offered steep fourth and maybe some low fifth class climbing, and ended about 20 feet below the summit on the SW ridge. Finishing to the summit via the couloir and North ridge would be a fine and perhaps safer option. I then descended Gladstone by its North Ridge and traversed to the normal route up Wilson Peak. In this section it is probably best to drop from the ridge crest to a bench below to make the traverse to Wilson Peak: where and how one would do this is a matter of judgement (I don't think I took the fastest route here). From Wilson Peak, I descended to the notch above the Rock of Ages saddle, and then followed the trail down into Navajo Basin and back to the trailhead.
My GPS track:
www.strava.com/activities/178540343
The Wilsons have some fine scrunbling to offer... you should go!