El Diente Peak

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 8/16/2015, By: SherpaSara
Info: Ascended South Slopes on Saturday...zero snow to contend with for El Diente; no ax or traction needed. There are still snow fields for the south route up Mt. Wilson, though. 

Route: North slopes and traverse to Wilson Peak
Posted On: 8/14/2015, By: Chipmonk
Info: This report will cover the rock of ages approach, ED's North Slopes and the Traverse.

1) rock of ages is ridiculously well marked and easy to follow. There is one spot that might give you issue and ink if you're walking in the dark. After turning off the road at a well signed junction you'll switchback to the left. Following that trail/road you'll gain elevation and come to a point where it appears the trail switches back to the right. There is some PVC pipe about and no real trail to speak of. However, if you continue walking straight as if the trail kept going forward you'll hit grass and a very small stream. Shine your headlamp around and you'll see the cairns. Again, very easy to see unless it's your first time and it's dark. For those of you who have been on this trail before it's where the remains of a brick house/cottage are. At this point you'll step over the creek and cross a bit of snow. About ten steps. Very solid at 4am and 130pm. Follow the very obvious trail to the saddle.

2) El Diente's North Slopes.
Dropping down from the saddle the trail is well marked. As I started heading west on the Navajo Basin trail I didn't see a clear turn off to the basin so I just bee lined it. (Sorry) the basin is easy to navigate and I basically just searched for larger rocks up. The couloir is a different story though. I hugged the left side as much as possible avoiding scree and dirt as it was wet and slick. Microspikes might actually help on this portion. No need for an ice axe as most of the snow is gone and what's there is avoidable. From there the description on 14ers is spot on and there are no issues to speak of.

3) Traverse
Same thing. Nothing to report other than conditions are favorable for the traverse. Easy to follow 14ers description and the trail is decently cairned.

I tried to take the northeast ridge down Wilson but I'm pretty sure I got lost. I ended up using an axe to glissade a small section of snow.

Happy hiking! 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/30/2015, By: thatguy
Info: Most snow can be avoided at this point. Small patches in the basin can be circumvented, which we did in the morning, or crossed, which we did when things softened up on the way down. We got confused on the way up and missed the grey gully that leads to the organ pipes. We were too far climber's left (west) and topped out past the organ pipes and right in front of the narrow section (photo #22 of the route description). There is snow in front of the pipes but at a glance, it seemed like it could be crossed or avoided. The only spot I was thankful for an ice ax was a bullet proof snow crossing on the north side, basically photo #27 of the route. It was only four steps to cross it and there were existing footsteps in place but its a long ways down if you slip. We contemplated going up and around this section as it would have only required about 10-15 ft climb of some OK looking rock but the firmly planted ice ax got us across. In another week or two, I bet the snow will have receded enough to not be an issue. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/25/2015, By: ilium
Info: The conditions have not changed much in the last couple of weeks. An ice axe is still recommended. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/29/2015, By: Pikaboot
Info: There are still several snowfields, so ice axe/microspikes/hemlet are all recommended. Snow varied from soft in the lower regions just past the waterfall to icy and firm as we ascended. Probably used the axe in 8ish different sections. Near the top there was one particularly icy area just above a steep gulley. This was probably 25 feet below the summit. It's about 15 ft wide. We were able to cross it safely and summit, but definitely be careful. We had hoped to traverse, but crossing the snow slowed us down a bit, so we opted not
To. Lots of wild flowers out there, it was beautiful. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/17/2015, By: kmikwilliams
Info: The Colorado 14er Initiative did a great job on the Kilpacker trail last year! Well cairned up through the talus in the basin 11500-12500. About 12500, turning north towards the peak, we encountered our first snow field. Ice axe is essential consistently throughout the remaining of the route. We carried our crampons, but didn't use them - there were a few places where we would have felt more safe with them. In the final pitch to the summit, there is a snow couloir that is iced over and very steep - we wouldn't cross this without the axe. You can go up and around several pitches to avoid this snow couloir. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/6/2015, By: Khieras
Info: Attempted El Diente on 7/4. The trail has small, easily passable snow fields until just above the turnoff (Route Photo #10). From there to above the "Large Rock", snow is avoidable at the risk of increasing the difficulty a bit (low class 3). From just above the Large Rock all the way up to the Red Rock Rib is a huge, steep snowfield that will require crampons or an ice ax and a lot of nerve. The snow was reasonably solid in the morning, and very slushy by noon. The Red Rock Rib itself and the grey gully are mostly snow-free, although very wet. There is a snow patch at the base of the Organ Pipes that is avoidable, and then the "chimney" (Route Photo 22) is full of snow, though still climbable without any aid. From the top of the chimney to the ridge is clear. The north face traverse (Route Photo #27) is still buried in snow, and this is where we turned back. The "trail" is too narrow and the snow too steep even with crampons at this time - a fall here would be fatal without question. Another two weeks should open this trail up to summer conditions. We started just above the creek crossing in the Kilpacker approach at 4:45am, and turned back just below the summit at 10:00am. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 6/28/2015, By: RobLowe
Info: Snow starts at 12,600' when you make the left turn to proceed north.

Crampons absolutely necessary above 13,000' past the big rock and on the way to the black spot. Also required to traverse to the red rib and head up the gully to the organ pipes. Also required to traverse below the pipes to the gray gully. Would not try this route as is with just microspikes.

All in all a beautiful day in the sky. Snow will probably be up there for another 2 or 3 weeks. Stay safe out there folks. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 6/15/2015, By: LoveRocks
Info: There is still quite a bit of snow on this trail. We had hoped to make it to the waterfall before encountering snow, but there was up to 3/4 feet still in some places about 2.5 miles in. We would have probably gone up to the waterfall nevertheless to see what the conditions were like above, but it had been raining the entire time we hiked in (and the past week for most part with severe weather, supposed to be more of same the following day), so the conditions were not favorable for an ascent no matter what. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 6/2/2015, By: Roca
Info: Pretty decent wet avalanches on all aspects; transitional snowpack. Be careful. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 9/14/2014, By: aliciaf
Info: Dry, summer conditions until you cross to the north side at the saddle. Light dusting of snow over the rocks but nothing requiring spikes. We climbed to the summit without spikes and put them on to descend since we had them. 

Route: Kilpacker Approach
Posted On: 8/24/2014, By: blacomb
Info: We climbed El Diente on August 24 through a snow cloud of sorts. More ice particles than snow and it was blowing uphill. The top (approx. 800 ft.) of the mountain was covered in ice and snow. Definitely prepare for all conditions as the lack of visibility made route finding a challenge. 

Route: North Slopes
Posted On: 7/28/2014, By: 81trucolors
Info: Climbed El Diente via the North Slopes. The gully on the 14ers.com trip report and Gerry Roach's book was horrible. It was some of the loosest most rotten rock I've climbed. We average 30 RPs an hour and it took us 4 hours to summit ED from Navajo Lake. There is very little snow left in the gully but still quite a bit of water coming down the center.

With sketchy weather approaching, we made a quick descent (back in to Navajo Basin) further east down a gully at the low point in the ED to MW traverse and glissaded down about half the gully. The snowfields were very soft and only 1-4 feet thick so this may not be doable soon. 

Route: South Slopes
Posted On: 7/18/2014, By: Nelson
Info: I did the El Diente/Mt. Wilson traverse on Thursday. There are two patches of snow on the way up from Kilpacker of about 100 vertical feet. One is at about 12,800 and the other is just before the red rock rib at 13,500. In the morning they are hard and steep and if you want to travel on them you need traction. I scrambled around them. In the pm they are soft and good to plunge step or glissade. I took the gully from the junction of the traverse and the Mt. Wilson rt. back into Kilpacker. There is no snow there but lots in Kilpacker down to 12,700. The snow is the best part of the return. No postholing and a lot better than the Talus. I had crampons and ax but they remained on my pack the whole time.

Between El Diente and Mt. Wilson the Marmots are fearless, aggressive and voracious. Anything you put down for one minute will get there attention. A lot of people stash there bags before the summit pitch on Mt. Wilson. I guarantee you they will have a go at it, even if other people are there. 

Route: North Buttress
Posted On: 7/15/2014, By: ksteinhaus
Info: Approached via the Navajo Lake Trail clear to the top. Plenty of camping at the lake and the water was very delicious off the stream may I say. Hiked the North Buttress to El Diente then traversed along the connecting ridge to Mt. Wilson descending the North East Ridge of Mt. Wilson (3.5 hours from the start of N. Butress to Mt. Wilson Peak). Mostly solid rock accent with some very exposed sections near the top. All snow was avoidable except for a small 3 foot section after descending off the peak of El Diente and some patches while descending the North East Ridge of Mt. Wilson.

South Slopes of El Diente looked like very soft snow. Many did it without crampons but all were carrying an ice axe.