Williams Peak, at 10636 feet (3,241.9 m) high is the 6th highest peak in the Sawtooth Mountains

Sawtooth Range (Idaho)

The Sawtooth Range is part of the Rocky Mountains, located within a few miles south of Stanley, Idaho, in the Western United States. Much of mountain range is within the Sawtooth Wilderness, part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area...

 of Idaho and is located within the Sawtooth Wilderness

Sawtooth Wilderness

The Sawtooth Wilderness is located in the U.S. state of Idaho. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The Wilderness was upgraded in 1972 from "primitive area" status, affording greater protections of the habitat...

 portion of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area

Sawtooth National Recreation Area

The Sawtooth National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area located in central Idaho, within the Boise, Challis, and Sawtooth National Forests. The recreation area is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and includes the Sawtooth Wilderness...

 . The peak lies at 44.15240°N / 115.0057°W and is .75 miles north-northwest of Thompson Peak

Thompson Peak (Idaho)

Thompson Peak, at high is the highest peak in the Sawtooth Range of Idaho. The top of Thompson Peak is located within Custer County, although some of the lower portion of the mountain is in Boise County. Thompson Peak is also located within the Sawtooth Wilderness portion of the Sawtooth...

, the highest peak in the range .

The town of Stanley, Idaho

Stanley, Idaho

Stanley is a city in Custer County, Idaho, United States. The population was 100 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Idaho is located in Stanley.-Geography:...

 is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) northeast of the peak. Views of the peak may be accessed from the scenic Idaho State Highway 75

Idaho State Highway 75

State Highway 75 is a two-lane highway that travels through the Sawtooth Range of central Idaho from Shoshone to Challis. The road is designated as one of Idaho's scenic byways and provides access to Sawtooth National Recreation Area...

, and on hiking trails from Redfish Lake

Redfish Lake

Redfish Lake is an alpine lake in central Idaho, United States, located in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains in Custer County....

 and throughout the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains

White Cloud Mountains

The White Cloud Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountainsof the western United States,located in central Idaho, southeast of Stanley in Custer County. The range is located within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area and the area that is the proposed "White Cloud - Boulder Wilderness Area." The...

.

History

Williams Peak is named for pioneer Dave Williams, who was a part of the first ascent team in 1934 along with Robert

Robert L. M. Underhill

Robert Lindley Murray Underhill was an American mountaineer best known for introducing modern Alpine style rope and belaying techniques to the U.S. climbing community in the late 1920s and early 1930s....

 and Miriam Underhill . Williams also owned the property of what is now the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch

The Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is a guest ranch located in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area of the U.S. state of Idaho, between the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountain ranges...

, which looks toward the peak.

Routes

Various routes are available for hikers and climbers as the mountain's southern slopes and ridgelines offer challenging and exciting scrambling, while the steep North Face offers the peak's classic alpine climb with over 1100 feet (335.3 m) or 9 pitches of steep climbing.

1) The June/ North Couloir (III 5.7) - This prominent steep couloir cuts up the northeast face to a notch just below the summit. It's fairly easy access from the Alpine Way Trail trail near Marshall Lake. The couloir often has ice, rock, and snow and is blocked by a large cornice in the winter near the top. The first ascent came in 1986 by Kirk Bachman and B. Franklin.

Rope up at the base of the couloir and expect highly variable conditions on snow and ice. The route is straightforward. At the top of the couloir, follow the ridge to the west and then the south to the summit. It's only 400 feet (121.9 m) from the top of the couloir to the summit proper. The easiest descent is to utilize the south facing routes to get back to the trail.

2) Southeast Slopes (Class 3) - Easy access from the Alpine Way Trail make this method probably the easiest and quickest route on the mountain. Winter time offers great snow climbing and ski descents here.

3) East Ridge (Class 4) - A more challenging route involves up and down scrambling on the prominent southeast ridge above the Southeast Slopes route. There are sections of extreme exposure and steep, loose gullies to cross over. Mountain Goats were encountered on this route.

4) Southwest Couloir (Class 3) - This route is readily accessible from the Thompson / Williams Saddle (Thompson and Williams can be done together) or the Lake 8865 area.

External links

• http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~dpinney/
• http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=845&state=id
• http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth/