Follow the
Rock of Ages Approach to Rock of Ages saddle or follow the
Navajo Basin Approach to 12,300' in upper east end of Navajo Basin. If coming in from Navajo, continue to the east end of the basin (
1) and ascend the trail northeast and then north towards Rock of Ages saddle above -
2 and
3. Follow the trail north, pass the Rock of Ages Mine and reach the Rock of Ages saddle, at 13,000'.
From the Rock of Ages saddle
, look east to see the route as it crosses the saddle and traverses the side of a steep slope -
4. Cross the narrow saddle on a good trail and continue across a rugged slope (
5) to reach the small saddle between Gladstone Peak and Wilson Peak.
6 looks back on the hike from Rock of Ages and
7 is the view to the south. From the small saddle
, look northeast to see the remaining route to the summit -
8 and
9. From here, you have a couple of options:
1) Scramble north across the rocks (
10) until you reach easier terrain or
2) Descend approx. 100' east on steep dirt, turn left and pass under the Class 3 ledges before climbing back up the slope. Option #1 requires Class 3 climbing but is more direct. Option #2 is easier but requires a loss of elevation.
After getting past the steep slope near the saddle, find a trail which heads north and northeast towards the southwest ridge -
11 and
12. The slope is steep and loose but you should find a trail all the way to 13,900'. Continue up the slope and gain the southwest ridge, near 13,550' -
13 and
14. Stay near the ridge crest and gain a 13,900-foot false summit -
15 and
16. The true summit is not far away but the remaining route is Class 3.
Your next challenge is to descend from the false summit, traverse below the connecting ridge, and gain the summit -
17 and
18. Downclimb about 50', cross some difficult rock below the ridge (
19) and climb back to the ridge (
20 and
21) to reach easier terrain. Walk a short distance north to reach the summit
-
22 and
23.
Southwest Ridge
