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The San Juan Mountain range
is home to twelve fourteen thousand foot peaks. Four “14ers” are
located near Telluride. Those are, in order of Elevation, Mt. Wilson,
Mt. Sneffles,
El Diente Peak and Wilson Peak. Mountaineering is a demanding sport and
not for those who are ill prepared. The weather in the San Juans can change
rapidly, hikers have been know to become stranded due to blizzards even
in the month of August, be sure to bring the proper gear for any situation.
Also make sure to bring a topographical map and consult a climbing guide
for more accurate information.
Mt. Wilson
Difficulty: Moderate - Difficult
Mt. Wilson is one of the most photographed peaks in the world, and can
be seen punctuating the sky from the Telluride Ski resort and Illium
Valley. Mt. Wilson is the more difficult of the 14ers in the area. The
common approach is up Silver Pick Basin to Navajo Basin. The lower part
of the trail is fairly obvious, although route finding on the upper section
gets a little tricky. The “crux” of the climb is near the
top where there is class four climbing along the ridgeline with exposure
or class four climb up a steep gully.
Mt. Sneffles
Difficulty: Moderate
The climb is best started from Yankee Boy Basin which can be accessed
from Ouray. It is a bit of a drive to the trailhead and a four wheel
drive is recommended. The trail travels through the Yankee Boy Basin
to the Blue Lakes Trail. From Blue Lake Pass you ascend up the summit
slope. The trail is loose and eroded in sections. There is a main gully
that leads up. Near the top of the gully, there is small V slot to ascend
to the top. Some exposed climbing is near the summit.
El Diente Peak
Difficulty: Moderate (Mt. Wilson traverse: Very Difficult)
The easiest way to bag this peak is from Kilpacker Basin. The road to
the trailhead is located at summit of Lizard Head Pass. This route climbs
the south face of the mountain. The route climbs steep, loose slopes.
Past Class 3 climbing and experience on loose San Juan rock is recommended.
Return same route, or possibly descend the West Ridge route. This peak
can also be climbed via a traverse from Mt. Wilson, but this route is
consider to be one of the most difficult in Colorado and only to be attempted
by experienced mountaineers.
Wilson Peak
Difficulty: Easy - Moderate
Wilson Peak is the easiest summit to climb of the four. The approach
is via Silver Pick Road to the Silver Pick trailhead. Continue up the
trail to the saddle. At the saddle continue east along the fairly distinct
ridge. Near the top, a bit of exposed scrambling must be done. |
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