Wilson Peak - Climb to the top via the SW ridge, from Rock of Ages TH.

My ascent and descent of San Juan 14er Wilson Peak by way of the southwest ridge, using the Rock of Ages approach, on August 4, 2023. The mountain is part of a towering massif that includes 14ers Mt. Wilson and El Diente Peak, and 13er Gladstone Peak. The three remote fourteeners are the westernmost in the state of Colorado, and also present some of the most challenging climbs. While Mt. Wilson and El Diente are fairly closely connected, Wilson Peak stands more distant from its slightly higher 14er neighbors. The approach hike has me going first through Elk Creek Basin, and then up Silver Pick Basin, which is rich in mining history. After reaching the Rock of Ages saddle near 13,000 feet, the real fun began. The remaining route involves traversing and climbing on class 2 and 3 slabs, shelves and loose rock, and culminates first in an intimidating view of the crux, and then in a precarious descent off a false summit and a class 3 scramble up the fairly steep crux itself. Descending these final stretches is perhaps even more of a challenge. In this video, as usual I provide maps and route description, and also bits about the history of the mountain, including its naming after A.D. Wilson, topographer for the Hayden survey when it was in the San Juans in 1874. Enjoy the footage! For my playlist of other San Juan 14er climbs: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/P.... Here is the table of contents for this video:

0:00 Miscellaneous scenes, different views of the peak, and its history
3:03 Directions to the TH, and route statistics
3:52 Driving the roads to the TH
6:04 Stretch #1 - Elk Creek Basin, ~10,400' to ~11,300'
11:40 Stretch #2 - Silver Pick Basin, ~11,300' to ~13,000'
23:02 SW ridge, phase 1: ~13,000' to ~13,300'
29:37 SW ridge, phase 2: ~13,300' to ~13,800'
43:58 SW ridge, phase 3: ~13,800' to the summit, 14,021'
58:26 Views from the top
1:02:18 Descending
1:10:38 Final thoughts
1:12:19 Final images
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#14ers #colorado #mountains #hiking #nature #rockymountains #climbing #mountainclimbing #mountainscenery #naturedocumentary #sanjuanmountains
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Correction: at 12:44, I say 'just after veering NE,' when the actual direction was SE.
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Music selections:
1) "Serenade for Strings" - Josef Suk (A Far Cry), (YouTube audio library)
2) "Everything Where it Needs to be" - Nat Keefe and Hot Buttered Rum (YouTube audio library)
3) "Final Boss" - Myuu (YouTube audio library)
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Additional sources:
1) For maps: U.S. Geological Survey - USGS
2) "A Climbing Guide to Colorado's Fourteeners" by Walter R. Borneman and Lyndon J. Lampert. Pruett Publishing, 2nd edition, 1988.
3) "Colorado's Fourteeners - From Hikes to Climbs" by Gerry Roach. Fulcrum Publishing, 3rd edition, 2011.
4) 14ers.com: Wilson Peak/routes
5) For signs: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - USDA
6) "Colorado's Highest - The History of Naming the 14,000-Foot Peaks" by Jeri L. Norgren. John Fielder Publishing, 2020.