One does not simply hike up Williamson. Big Willi was the second 14er of our three night trip. We camped one night at Anvil camp below Shepherd Pass, and two nights near the lip of the Williamson Bowl. After spying on the West Face route from the summit of Tyndall the previous day, we had a good idea of how to get through the Williamson Bowl and to the base of the route. After dropping in the bowl, follow the prominent ridge on the moraine that holds back the lake closest to Mt. Tyndall. Contour along the talus to your right to avoid a couple cliff bands in the center of the bowl. Stop and stock up your water at the "4th lake", which is the most southerly lake in the bowl. That sets you up for a pretty straight shot at the base of the West Face Route. It seems that the further you go into the bowl, the better. Heading to the base of the "chute" too early will put you in a nasty scree field. We tried to stay on the larger more stable rocks as we made our way up to, and through, the chute. Still, there is a lot of loose stuff, so every step takes concentration. Lots of fresh scars from rockfall, so speed is your friend in the chute. Wear a helmet. Do not be tempted to turn to the ancillary chutes on your right as you head up. The 4th class "chimney" takes forever to get to, but is a ton of fun. It was the best rock we got to climb on all day. Lots of holds, with a number of handy chockstones stuck in the chimney itself. It's a pretty secure-feeling climb both up and down. (Well, I thought so, anyway.) Did I mention that Williamson is an incredibly large and complicated mountain? Well, it is. -- Distance listed below is from our camp at the tarn above Shepherd pass to the peak and back.