Afternoon storm risk is the line that matters. Everything else is comfort. In summer, plan to be off the ridge before the build-up starts, not as it starts. Forecast for the summit point, adjusted for its elevation · data from Open-Meteo.
Standard route · South Slopes
Overview
El Diente, Spanish for 'the tooth,' is the jagged western end of the Mount Wilson group in the San Miguel Mountains. The South Slopes route starts at the Kilpacker trailhead, follows a long trail into Kilpacker Basin, then leaves the trail and climbs loose talus, a gray gully, and a series of ledges to the summit ridge. The final part is Class 3 scrambling with real exposure.
The day is about 12 miles round trip with 4,400 feet of gain. Many people camp in Kilpacker Basin to split it up. The lower half is an easy trail. The upper 1,500 feet are the problem: there is no maintained trail, the rock is loose, and the route weaves back and forth across a steep face. Route-finding is the biggest challenge, and rockfall is a constant risk, especially with other parties above you.
Plan on 10 to 13 hours from the trailhead, or 6 to 8 hours from a camp in the basin. This route is for experienced climbers who have done other Class 3 peaks, are steady on loose rock, and can find their way from landmarks. It is not a good first Class 3.
Plan of the day
Start by
By 4 a.m. from the trailhead, or by 5 a.m. from a camp in the basin. The scramble is slow, and San Juan storms often build by late morning.
Turnaround
If you have not reached the base of the gray gully at about 13,600 feet by 10 a.m., or clouds are building, turn back. The terrain above is slow, exposed, and hard to retreat from in a hurry.
Crux
The section from the top of the gray gully to the 13,950-foot notch: a chimney-like passage, stacked blocks, a ledge, and a short loose gully, all Class 3 with exposure. The final pitch above the second notch is also steep and loose.
Route-finding
Hard. The turn-off from the Kilpacker trail at 12,600 feet is not maintained and is easy to miss. Above it, you must find the red rock rib, the gray gully, and the Organ Pipes. Many parties get lost on the face, both going up and coming down.
Water
Kilpacker Creek and side streams run along the trail into the basin. Above the turn-off at 12,600 feet there is little or no water. Filter or treat everything, and fill up with at least 2 to 3 liters in the upper basin.
From Telluride, drive south on Colorado 145 over Lizard Head Pass. Continue 5.5 miles past the pass and turn right onto Forest Road 535, the Dunton road. Drive a little over 5 miles on this dirt road to the signed Kilpacker trailhead on the right.
The road is a good 2WD dirt road when dry and fine for most cars. It can be muddy and slick after rain. Parking is limited, so arrive early on summer weekends. The route enters the Lizard Head Wilderness, so wilderness rules for camping, fires, and group size apply.
Trail in the treesTalus and screeTundraRidgeScramblingExposed to lightning
The line is elevation, the band underneath is the ground, and the numbered dots match the steps below. Mileage and elevations are approximate.
1
Kilpacker trailhead 10,100' · 0 mi
Start on the Kilpacker trail, heading into the forest. The first miles are gentle trail through spruce and aspen with meadows in between.
2
Forest trail 10,500' · 1.5 mi
The trail rolls through mixed forest and open meadows, gaining height slowly. Stay on the main Kilpacker trail at any junctions.
3
Kilpacker Basin 11,500' · 3 mi
The trail enters Kilpacker Basin as the trees thin. The towers of El Diente and Mount Wilson rise at the head of the valley. There are campsites in the trees in the lower basin.
Watch for: Camp well away from the creek and trail, following wilderness rules.
4
Upper basin 12,000' · 4 mi
Above treeline, the trail climbs through rocky meadows and talus in the upper basin. El Diente's south face is now above you on the left, with a long jagged ridge running east toward Mount Wilson.
5
El Diente turn-off 12,600' · 4.6 mi
At about 12,600 feet, look for where the route leaves the Kilpacker trail on the left. It may have cairns, but it is not maintained and can be hard to spot. Before you leave the trail, study the face above and pick out the landmarks.
Watch for: Easy to miss. If the trail keeps climbing toward Mount Wilson, you have gone past it.
6
Large rock 12,900' · 4.8 mi
Follow broken bits of loose trail between rock outcrops, then bear right to a big boulder on your right. Pass along its left side and angle slightly right.
7
Gray talus field 13,200' · 5 mi
Reach a field of gray talus near 13,200 feet and climb toward the cliffs above. Before you reach the cliffs, turn left (west) and traverse along the talus beneath them.
Watch for: Do not climb up into the cliffs.
8
Base of the red rib 13,500' · 5.2 mi
Traverse under the cliffs and climb to the foot of a rib of red rock. The view opens up here. Look up and find the Organ Pipes, a wide band of rock columns on the ridge above. Your goal is the base of the Pipes.
Watch for: Take a minute here to fix the route in your mind for the way down.
9
Gray gully 13,600' · 5.35 mi
Climb gray talus and traverse left under some rock outcrops to a gully of gray rock. This gully leads straight to the base of the Organ Pipes. Climb it.
Watch for: Loose rock throughout. Spread out so no one is directly below another climber.
10
Below the Organ Pipes 13,800' · 5.5 mi
At the top of the gully, carefully climb over large blocks to easier ground just below the Pipes. Turn left and scramble toward a narrow passage that looks like a chimney.
11
Chimney and ledges 13,900' · 5.65 mi
Climb through the chimney, then work around a section of jumbled, stacked rocks. After a short drop and climb back up, follow a ledge and cross an angled slab of rock. A short, loose gully above leads up to the ridge crest.
Watch for: Class 3 with exposure. Test every hold; blocks here can be loose.
12
13,950-foot notch 13,950' · 5.75 mi
Reach a notch in the ridge crest. Turn left and look at the north side of the peak, where the next part of the route runs. Follow the cairns that lead across toward a second notch north of the summit.
Watch for: Do not wander east along the ridge toward Mount Wilson. That traverse is a much harder climb.
13
North-side notch 14,050' · 5.9 mi
Scramble up to the second notch. From here the summit is in view. Pass through the notch and climb the angled rock on the left side of a dirt gully.
Watch for: The dirt gully is loose and slick. Stay on the rock to its left.
14
Summit 14,159' · 6 mi
Near the top of the dirt gully, turn right and traverse a short way, then climb left to the summit. The top is small and airy. Mount Wilson is close by to the east, and Wilson Peak rises to the northeast.
Watch for: Small summit with big drops. Keep your group tight and careful.
Here Groundhog Stock Drive Trail goes off to the left. Keep right to follow Kilpacker Trail.
Coming down: Keep going straight on Kilpacker Trail. Don’t take Groundhog Stock Drive Trail.
2Mile 5.4 · 13,670'
Turn left onto El Diente South Slopes
Here Mount Wilson Southwest Slopes goes off to the right. Turn left to follow El Diente South Slopes.
Coming down: Turn right to stay on Kilpacker Basin Trail. Don’t take Mount Wilson Southwest Slopes.
3Mile 5.9 · 14,050'
Turn left to stay on El Diente South Slopes
Here Mount Wilson-El Diente Traverse goes off to the right. Turn left to follow El Diente South Slopes.
Coming down: Turn right to stay on El Diente South Slopes. Don’t take Mount Wilson-El Diente Traverse.
Landmarks to know
Kilpacker Basin opening up with the El Diente and Wilson towers ahead
The unmarked turn-off at 12,600 feet, possibly with cairns
A large boulder on your right, passed on its left side
A gray talus field below a line of cliffs near 13,200 feet
A rib of red rock at about 13,500 feet
The Organ Pipes: a wide band of rock columns on the ridge above
The gray gully leading to the base of the Pipes
Two notches: one on the crest at 13,950 feet, one on the north side below the summit
Getting down
Go down the same way, and go slowly. From the summit, climb back down to the north-side notch, follow the cairns back to the 13,950-foot notch, and drop south through the short loose gully, the ledges, and the chimney to the base of the Organ Pipes. Downclimbing Class 3 on loose rock takes more care than going up. Face in on the steep steps.
The most common mistake is missing the top of the gray gully and heading down a different gully on the face. Several gullies look alike from above and many end in cliffs. Find the gully that leads to the red rib, then traverse back east under the cliffs to the gray talus field and back to the turn-off. If the ground ahead gets harder or cliffier than what you climbed, stop and go back up to the last spot you recognize.
If things go wrong
Your safest retreat is always back down the route you know. Do not try shortcut gullies; they are loose and often end in cliffs. If a storm moves in, get off the ridge and notches first, then descend the gray gully carefully; wet rock here is slick and dangerous. The upper Kilpacker Basin is the nearest safer ground, and a camp in the lower basin is the nearest shelter. Rescue on this face is slow and difficult, and cell coverage is poor. If someone is hurt, secure them from further falls or rockfall, keep them warm, and send a strong member down for help if you cannot call 911.
3D flyover
Press play to fly the South Slopes. The graph shows elevation along the way and how much you gain each mile. Open full screen.
For planning only. The line is traced from open map data, not walked in the field, and off-trail parts are drawn straight. Load it in your GPS app to see the route, but navigate with your eyes, a map and the route description.
See the trail on video
No video yet
We haven’t found a good video of this route that matches the way we describe it. The route strip, junctions and 3D flyover show the way in the meantime.
Other routes
All 4 routes up El Diente Peak, with the class and round-trip distance for each.
Class 3 means sustained scrambling with your hands, on terrain where a fall has real consequence. Build up on easier scrambles first, wear a helmet, go with someone who has led this kind of ground, and remember that downclimbing is harder than going up.
