Hike Antelope Peak (Peak 5722) Mount Tipton Wilderness Area BLM, AZ

Nov 26, 2022 — Dolan Springs AZ is a little town along AZ-93 where people stop for gas or use as a portal for reaching Grand Canyon West. For peakbaggers, it's the gateway for Mount Tipton, but very few visit the area to reach the pinnacle-riddled minor summits within the Mount Tipton Wilderness Area. The peaks in this area, the norther reaches of the Cerbat Mountains, have been on our itinerary forever, each of us noticing them in the distance during drives to and from Las Vegas. The only peak that seemed to have a modicum of hope for an ascent was Antelope Peak, which we named due to its proximity to Antelope Spring to its east. I later learned some locals seem to call this peak in the Cerbat Mountains Mount Mitten. Unsure of the best way to approach this sheer-looking summit, we thought the best place to start would be to park at a designated trailhead for the wilderness area. To reach it leave CR-25 here (35.61873, -114.25583) and head east.

A sign-in book led us to believe there may be a trail for at least part of the hike, but we were sadly mistaken. Though a scenic foreground for Antelope Peak's photogenic north face, the desert vegetation was thick enough that we needed to do a bit of zig-zagging to avoid getting stabbed. We headed generally south, our initial goal being to reach the peak's northern slope. We figured we could ascend to the cliff base and wrap around it until we located a possible route for ascending. I'm sure you can reach the cliff base from any number of gullies or ridges, but they all seem about the same quality. After reaching the start of the slope, our route was mostly free of hazardous brush. Mostly. Otherwise there was some Class 2 boulder-hopping, but nothing atypical for desert hiking.

After ascending to around 5000' we began traversing below the imposing volcanic cliffs and wrapped around toward the peak's south side. The southern aspect of Antelope Peak is marked by a large pinnacle, a fortuitous hunk of rock. This pinnacle's existence meant it created two gullies by being pressed up against the peak. The western one had a steep Class 5 chute that we had no interest in, but the eastern option turned out to be mere Class 2 boulder-hopping. As we made our way to this eastern gully and rounded the south side of Antelope Peak, we were struck by the impressive ridgeline of unique volcanic rock that stretched away, forming an incredible wall of sheer volcanic rock. This was a special place, especially when viewed with the dying sunlight. Mount Tipton's forested form hovered above, and the dark rock of these peaks contrasted the mountain in a particularly cool way.

Thrilled to have located a Class 2 option, we made our way to the notch separating Antelope Peak from the pinnacle. At the notch, we traversed on some Class 2 and Class 3 ledges and short scrambles with virtually no exposure and extreme excitement for the potential for a route. Just ahead was a wide gully that led a few hundred feet to a significant break in the cliffs above. It was low-angle enough that plenty of trees were growing in this gully. As we ascended the Class 2 slope leading into the gully we became a bit concerned at a headwall that might prevent further access. However, once we made it to the notch at the top of the gully, a short and solid Class 3 move brought us to the final bits of Class 2 required to reach the summit. Holy moly, those sunset views.