
Hiking along Aztec Wash Road.

Heading south through a major wash. Peak 2963 visible ahead, my first peak of the day.

Ascending out of the major wash toward Peak 2963. You can see the peaks of the Eldorado Wilderness to the north.

Ascending to Peak 2963. Peak 3235 is over there on the far right, my next peak.

Close-up toward Peak 2963. Nice ridge walk.

Summit of Peak 2963, looking toward the Colorado River.

Summit of Peak 2963, view toward Peak 3235 (left) and Little Hands Peak + Aztec Peak (right).

I dropped off Peak 2963 and continued through the lumpy desert toward the base of Little Hands Peak in order to get to Peak 3235.

Within the major drainage system, Aztec Wash, below Little Hands Peak. Little Hands Peak visible center. There are apparently petroglyphs and a spring in the narrows on the right in this photo. I wanted to check them out, but my lack of water would prevent me from doing so later.

View back as I head through the drainage system.

Crossing an ATV road and some powerlines. Peak 3235 visible center. I continued up the wash on its right.

Entering wilderness, heading up the wash that would lead to the saddle separating Peak 3235 and Little Hands Peak.

Toward the end of the wash, view back the way I came.

View back into the wash (center). Little Hands Peak visible left of center.

Ascending out of the wash and up the slope to Peak 3235, the hump that's left of center in this photo. Class 2 ahead to get up the steep slope to the summit.

Progress up Peak 3235, view toward Little Hands Peak.

Close-up toward Little Hands Peak. As you can see there's a bump on the left. I chose to ascend the major dent in its face (left in this photo), wrap around its ridge side, and then end up at the base of Little Hands Peak.

Peak 3235, view toward Peak 2963.

Peak 3235, view south toward Lake Mojave.

I dropped off Peak 3235 and started up the dent in the bump along the ridge. Class 2.

View back toward Peak 3235.

I didn't include a photo of the side-hill around the bump, but you can either go up and over or around, all is some variation of Class 2/2+. ahead you can see Little Hands Peak. I avoided the potentially scary granite by staying to the left of the pinnacles in the center of this photo. Class 2 for a while.

Progress up to Little Hands Peak, view back. You can see the bump I wrapped around right of center in this photo. Peak 3235 visible center, behind it.

Class 2 for a while up Little Hands Peak.

Class 2/3 territory to boulder-hop over the granite.

On the ridge, view north toward Little Hands Peak.

Close-up to the summit block. I went up the center of this photo and the side-hilled around the summit block.

Class 2/3 as I near the summit area.

View back at the bouldery side-hill. The summit block is just on the right in this photo.

Little Hands Peak summit block. Class 2/3 by going around on the left in this photo.

Summit of Little Hands Peak, view toward its little hump (center) and peak 3235 (left).

Summit of Little Hands Peak, view toward Aztec Mountain.

After making my way down to the west on the way to Aztec Mountain, this is a view back up at Little Hands Peak. The terrain had lots of boulders, and I pulled some Class 2 and 3 moves to keep the route efficient.

View back toward my route from Little Hands Peak.

Aztec Mountain ahead. I headed to the gully in the center of this photo and ascended on Class 2/3 terrain.

Up the gully.

Crux of the gully, Class 2/3.

View back down the gully, Little Hands Mountain center.

Aztec Mountain summit block.

Aztec Mountain, view back toward Little Hands Peak.

Aztec Mountain, view toward the Eldorado Wilderness (top left) and Eagle Peak (right of center). I would descend to the ATV road below, cross it and head to the saddle on the left side of Eagle Peak.

A Class 2+ notch to descent Aztec Mountain's northern spur ridge.

View back up toward Aztec Mountain after descending the northern spur ridge.

Entering a wash, Eagle Peak visible top right. First I'd cross a road with powerlines and then head through the desert.

View back toward Little Hands Peak (left) and Aztec Mountain (center) after picking up a single-track dirt bike trail.

The trail led me pretty efficiently to the west saddle of Eagle Peak.

View back as I navigate the lumpy desert terrain.

Another shot back toward Little Hands and Aztec.

Approaching Eagle Peak's west saddle.

Starting up Eagle Peak's west ridge.

Class 2/2+ summit block move ahead.

Eagle Peak, view toward Peak 3235 (far left), Little Hands Peak (center), and Aztec Mountain (right).

Close-up toward the Eldorado Wilderness to the north.

View toward Peak 2963 and the Colorado River to the east.

Major wash you could use to get back to Aztec Wash Road (orange line on map).

Alternatively you can take the slightly longer road option to add a mile to the route (purple line on my attached map).

The road passes some mining cabin.

Inside the cabin.
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