I had a really fun day scrambling up to the summit of Del Campo. I got to the trailhead around 6:30AM and was on trail ten minutes later. The trail starts off mellow until the first creek crossing. Suddenly it gets really steep which was rough with the early morning hot temperatures. Eventually you get above the tree line and pass some gorgeous waterfalls. Water sources are plentiful so bring a water filter!
I crossed into Gothic Basin a little before 9AM. I decided to have a nice snack and water break by Foggy Lake before making the final summit push. The trail is pretty clear around Foggy Lake before reaching the talus fields. There were a couple of snow patches to cross but nothing too crazy. I felt comfortable walking with trail runners and no spikes.
The real fun begins at the base of the summit block. The key is to aim for a nice tree bench and to avoid going up the appealing notch (pictured below). If you stay on trail, the scramble is pretty nice with solid holds. The exposure wasn’t too bad and I made it to the summit by 11AM. I enjoyed the summit for around an hour taking in the views and enjoying snacks. Glad I got up there before the fire haze came in.
The descent wasn’t too bad but it’s good to take it slow. I did notice a rap anchor near the summit which might be nice for folks who struggle with down climbing exposed class 3 rocks. I got back down in time to a lot of folks swimming around Foggy Lake. It got hot super fast so I didn’t stick around for too long and managed to get back to the car before 3PM. This was such a fun day trip and scramble. 10/10 would do it again!
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