10/10/2024 Route: Southwest Face Posted On: 10/12/2024, By: supranihilest Info: We followed Otina's route from Stormy Gulch to the Guardian/Silex saddle (see https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=21400). This approach is awesome and easier on the ascent. Be careful descending it, the cliffs aren't as visible and can be confusing. Surely very few have ever been in this pristine basin. From the saddle the route up Silex is pretty straightforward, and much easier than the Guardian. Drop down 25 feet or so and traverse below the ridge on loose ledges and over minor ribs to where the face opens up more into a wide pile of talus. I'd avoid going to high before the face opens as this would probably be a lot more difficult. From there more or less make your way directly up on loose talus and scree. |
|
9/7/2024 Route: East face Posted On: 9/9/2024, By: desertdog Info: All mountains in the area are still dry. We did see some snow on the drive out, but Im sure it will melt. The weather bounced us around quite a bit during the trip. We had to leave Guardian because of thunderstorms, but got to climb Peak Seven the day before. Speaking of Seven, as you look up at the north face it looks harder than class 3. Its not. Very straight forward once you get into it. We climbed the East face to do Silex from bergsteigens trip report. Excellent way to go! Thanks Otina! The road to Beartown was its typical grumpy self, but nothing too bad. I posted more in TH section. |
|
8/21/2023 Route: East Bowl Posted On: 8/25/2023, By: CarpeDM Info: I'm not sure if we found the best way into Stormy Gulch from the Vallecito trail. Our creek crossing did not agree with the descriptions that I had read elsewhere, but there was a small cairn leading to a downed tree crossing immediately below the waterfall. Getting to and away from the downed tree was cumbersome with a backpack, and we never found a campsite on the far side of the creek -- as I had read elsewhere -- but this was obviously a good place to cross that we weren't the first to use. Then, between some stretches of annoying bushwhacking, we eventually found, then lost, then found again a trail that was sometimes pretty good and which ended with a wonderful campsite in a clearing just below 11,000 feet. When we went for the East Bowl route on Guardian and Silex, we found pretty good trail pretty much as soon as we crossed Trinity Creek directly south of the campsite. We again lost and found this trail a couple of times, but it was a good strong trail for the most part, and when it's not, it's still easy off-trail hiking. The trail finally peters out once you make the turn into the East Bowl. Then, just piece together some ledges -- mostly class 2 grass and talus -- up to the saddle. You can throw in a few class 3 moves if you want. Mt Silex was just loose class 2 and not any fun, but -- thinking about the options -- the East Bowl does seem to be hands down the best way to approach it. Check bergsteigen's TR for more on the route. (As we were on the Guardian, my dry eye problem started up on me, so before it got too bad I decided it was better to call it a day, and I came back to do Silex separately the next day.) |
|
7/23/2022 Route: Leviathan Basin Posted On: 8/6/2022, By: pbradley14er Info: Approached from campsite in upper Tenmile drainage. Went around to Peak Seven/Peak Eight saddle, then around south side of Peak Nine to basin below Mt. Silex and the Guardian. Summer conditions, no snow. My partner and I found this route to be very nice and other than some extra distance and elevation gain, I suspect it was preferable to crossing under the north side of Peak Nine. |
|
9/27/2020 Route: From Hunchback Pass Posted On: 9/28/2020, By: WildWanderer Info: A little bit of snow in the access gully leftover from last year, and snow on the route in gully after the lake. I avoided it by sticking to the left. No traction needed. Otherwise, summer conditions. |
|
9/21/2020 Route: South Slopes Posted On: 9/21/2020, By: Grover Info: Mt. Silex is still snow free via Leviathan Basin. Skirted around Peak 9 on a grassy ledge system above the waterfall/stream, then wrapped around into the south facing basin of Silex and The Guardian. Pick your route from there. Summit register is a glass jar, a pencil and getting low on paper. Photo: Silex and The Guardian from the summit of Leviathan Peak. |
|
9/2/2019 Route: Leviathan basin Posted On: 9/3/2019, By: cottonmountaineering Info: Storm king, Silex, peak 6, peak 7, guardian are all in summer conditions. Road to beartown is about the same as last year, water crossings are fine |
