Standard Route

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 35.27500°N / 114.7231°W
Additional Information Route Type: Hike / Scramble
Additional Information Time Required: Half a day
Additional Information Rock Difficulty: Class 3
Sign the Climber's Log

Approach

From the parking area, head due north on foot on the faint dirt road. Don't be tempted, as we were, to immediately head up the slopes to the prominent south ridge immediately to the east. From the starting point of the route, the south ridge is readily accessible and looks to be a much easier and more direct means to achieve the summit. Think again. The crags along the spine of the ridge (and all along its sides) are much larger and impenetrable than they look from a distance. Anyway, after a 1/4 mile or so, the dirt road starts heading toward the west. Leave the road and continue cross country directly north toward the peak.



Route Description

The cross country approach is short but occasionally tedious. You will travel up and over and through a few washes and small ridges. Study the route continually. The topography is much more complex than it appears from a distance. You want to head toward a fairly obvious gully on the southwest face of the mountain (not the very obvious one leading steeply toward a notch between Spirit Mountain and a very impressive shark's tooth crag to the west of the summit - don't worry, you'll know it when you see it).

See the photo attached to this section for a decent overview of the last 2/3 of the route. The photo illustrates the last portion of the approach to the gully and the gully itself.

Although use trails and cairns are hard to come by early on the route, once you get to the area illustrated in the photo, both use trails and cairns have been frequently placed and help tremendously.

Once the top of the gully is obtained via class 2 and occasional class 3 terrain, you will meet up with the top of the south ridge. Shortly above this junction, you will find a large flat area perfectly suited for camping. The Colorado River is below and to the east.

From this flat area, the summit is only a short distance away to the northwest.

Follow a well-worn use trail as it continues to the north and then bends to the west. From this point, the route is very easy to follow and the terrain less complex. You will soon find yourself looking at a sort of rock wall barring further progress. Fortunately, two class 3 notches are in the wall, either of which will allow you to continue on the summit.

Scramble up, over and through the notches and drop down into a sort of granite basin on the other side. The summit is 100 feet due west.

Head up class 2 terrain to the summit, which is marked with a heinous piece of wood with metal wire attached to it.

To descend...retrace your steps. Hopefully you paid attention on the way up - the complex topography of the mountain actually makes the descent a tad more challenging than the ascent if you didn't take good note of the route on your way up. Remember, though, cairns are plentiful, if often hard to follow.

Roundtrip distance is around 5 miles and 2500 feet.

Essential Gear

Hiking boots, water, compass...sunscreen. The basics will do under ordinary circumstances.

Mountain Conditions

The mountain is remote. Don't expect to be able to find any reliable, up-to-date information on conditions. Fortunately, southern Nevada has good, predictable, stable weather, so no real worries.

Of course, you can always check the weather in Laughlin, NV to get the latest scoop.

Click for Laughlin, Nevada Forecast

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.