Been wanting to get up to Gothic Basin for the longest time this season. The first half of the trail was quite pleasant and wide but gets pretty steep as you approach the Basin. There are a few downed trees and some beautiful waterfalls along the way. Plenty of running water!
Gothic Basin still has a decent amount of snow but it’s melting pretty fast. I didn’t spend much time there as I was intent on climbing Del Campo Peak.
I brought crampons and an ice axe but never used them as I felt fairly comfortable on steep snow that had gotten soft during the heat of the day.
We got fooled by an obvious gulley to the right of Del Campo. At the top of the gulley there is a sheer drop off with dangerous terrain. There is also quite abit of unpleasant loose rock in the gulley.
Was able to backtrack a bit via a series of class 3/4 ledges and get back on route. AIM for the largest trees and you should find yourself on class 2/3 terrain with big jugs and handholds..There are alternative options that look more like class 4/5 climbing. There is some exposure and I would highly recommend a helmet. Rockfall is significant hazard on route.
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