El Diente Peak - south slopes route

Climbing San Juan 14er El Diente Peak via the South Slopes from Kilpacker Basin on July 11, 2024. El Diente, which means 'the tooth' in Spanish, is the westernmost 14er in Colorado, and shares the same majestic massif in the San Juan range with 14ers Mt. Wilson, and Wilson Peak. The route takes me first through idyllic green meadows and forests, then into the rocky environs of Kilpacker Basin past an alpine waterfall, and finally onto the airy, precipitous and precarious, exhilarating and challenging class 3 terrain of the upper reaches. A route-finding challenge, the route is a mix of talus, steep gullies, exposed ledges, and tough pitches. This is one of the more difficult 14ers, so come prepared. For my trip up neighboring 14er Wilson Peak:    • Wilson Peak - Climb to the top via the SW ...  . In this video, I provide maps and route description, and go into a bit of history of the mountain. Video contents are as follows: 0:00 Different views of the mtn, and its climbing and naming history. 2:38 Ascending Forest road 535 to the Kilpacker TH. 3:53 Route overview and statistics, and directions to the TH. 4:48 Lower approach hike, ~10,100' to ~10,400'. 10:48 Upper approach hike, ~10,400' to ~12,600'. 19:57 South slopes stage 1: ~12,600' to ~13,600'. Talus slopes. 34:06 South slopes stage 2: ~13,600' to the summit, 14,175'. Gray gully, parallel slabs, a touchy 'ledge', a loose gully, precipitous ledges, final challenging pitch. 59:11 Views at the top 1:03:41 Descending 1:12:37 Final thoughts and recap 1:15:33 Final images #14ers #colorado #mountains #hiking #nature #rockymountains #climbing #mountainclimbing #mountainscenery #naturedocumentary #sanjuanmountains Music selections: 1) "Habanera" - Bizet (YouTube audio library) 2) "Catch Up" - Dan Lebowitz (YouTube audio library) 3) "Helium" - TrackTribe (YouTube audio library) 4) "A Fool's Theme" - Brian Bolger (YouTube audio library) 5) "Toccata in D minor" - Bach (YouTube audio library) 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: El Diente 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.