"V 10"

Route: From South Mineral/Bandora mine
Posted On: 9/14/2024, By: SnowAlien
Info: We started from the TH around 7.15am on the upper trail leading to the Hope pass. Around 12k we left the trail and hiked 1k vertical up to the 13k saddle between Rolling and V9. The last 200 feet are quite steep and about class 4 depending on the line. V10 and Grizzly looked impossibly far from the saddle. We scree skied into the basin losing the hard earned 1k feet and made our way towards V10. There were plenty of water sources in the basin. We also saw a heard of elk. We aimed for the big waterfall that was flowing from the upper basin of V10. We went up the Furthermore route, the talus was tedious - steep and loose. We were surprised to spot another person ahead of us. Turns out it was tdawg012 (Tyler) who traversed from Grizzly. We chatted with him just below the summit ridge on his way back down. We stayed on top of the ridge to the summit, which was a bit airy and fun. There was no summit register. By that time (around 1pm) the weather looked threatening, so we quickly reversed the route. It hailed and rained on us for an hour on the descent. I didn't want to go back up the same way, so we went up and over the saddle between V9 and Pt 13,400, the views of Lake Hope were amazing on the other side. From there, we sidehilled to the top of the Hope pass, which was easier and faster than expected. From Hope pass, it was a quick jaunt on the good trail back to the trailhead around 6pm. Got to Silverton at 7pm, just in time for the celebratory dinner at Handlebars! 

Route: North Face and East Ridge
Posted On: 6/19/2023, By: supranihilest
Info: "V 10"'s reputation is well deserved. While we climbed Grizzly Peak B first, here's the directions on how to get to "V 10": From South Mineral Creek Road one can drive approximately half a mile up the 4WD road before hardened avalanche debris block the road. This adds ~1.3 miles each way to the hike from there to the Bandora Mine trail. Trail is basically a river and covered with patchy snow, some downed trees. Eventually all snow, then all snow above treeline literally all the way to the summit and back. The San Miguel are absolutely caked right now. Take the trail over Hope Pass then sidehill to the saddle west of "V 9", go over it and into Cascade Creek basin. From the saddle "V 10"'s north face is obvious and has a couple of snow tongues on it. Descend into the basin and make your way towards "V 10". We climbed up climber's right snow, then made a long horizontal snow traverse past the large towers farther east on the ridge before again heading straight up to the ridge. Snow on the face covers the typical high angle talus "V 10" is known for and pushes 55 degrees. Once on the ridge we scrambled along junky, multilayered rock to the summit, mostly staying on the south side of the ridge. Fresh snow covered most of the ridge but we found a few cairns to help guide us. We only encountered one Class 3 move, otherwise the ridge was sustained Class 2+ on high angle, exposed, ridiculously loose talus. Near the summit there are two sections best done directly on the ridge crest which is a bit like a catwalk. The scrambling wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. We reversed our route down exactly and once back on the north face we all used two axes and down climbed facing in since the face was so steep and a fall would almost certainly be unarrestable and fatal. Went back over the "V 9" saddle back to South Mineral Creek. I highly recommend doing this route on snow if 50-60 degree snow is in your wheelhouse. Thanks to Boggy B, Amy "blazintoes", and Vera Undertow for such a rad day! Helmet, at least one axe, and crampons mandatory. I STRONGLY recommend a second axe or ice tool. 

Route: Cascade Creek
Posted On: 6/30/2022, By: supranihilest
Info: Class 5 bushwhacking in Cascade Creek. Whiley and I waged battle with thick, steep, 6+ foot tall wet willows. The willows won. Our progress was pitiful, something like a quarter mile an hour and we gave up after the willows soaked us from head to toe and made us hypothermic in the cool morning. Your best bet for "V 10" is to go over Rolling Mountain's south saddle (looked easier) or north saddle with "V 9".