My GPS track for the drive to Washington Creek trailhead can be found here, but to be honest, I really cannot recommend this approach even for those who have a high-clearance vehicle with 4x4 capability.  It is a nerve-racking and punishing drive, and not even dirt bikes or possibly ATVs are invulnerable.  It is perhaps telling that Zosia and I were all alone while camping near the trailhead that night, and as far as I know, no one else we would later encounter in Chamberlain Basin used the same approach as us.

	This is the first of two crossings of Germania Creek on the long and arduous drive to Washington Creek trailhead.  Watch a video of this crossing here.  A video of the second crossing is available here. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Hazards abound on the road to the trailhead. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Zosia and I got up before dawn on 14 August 2022, and after finishing a quick breakfast, we loaded up our backpacks and crossed Washington Creek on a log to reach the start of the actual trail.  Although we could have conceivably climbed Castle Peak from here as a long day trip, we felt that it was worth hauling camping gear to stay overnight at Chamberlain Basin in order to enjoy a more relaxed ascent either later in the day or the following morning depending on how we were feeling.  With the exception of a few switchbacks which seemed a bit long-winded, the hike to Chamberlain Basin was generally straightforward as we followed forestry trails #051, #109, and #047.  Signs at all junctions kept us always pointed in the right direction.  At the saddle known as Chamberlain Divide, we got our first unobstructed view of Castle Peak, and much to our relief, it looked nearly bone-dry.  When we subsequently descended into Chamberlain Basin, we made the mistake of taking a short cut trail down to one of the lakes where we had planned to set up camp.  Although the short cut is not terrible, it does add some unnecessary route-finding challenges, and in retrospect, I would recommend just sticking to the official trail.  From Washington Creek trailhead, it took us four hours to reach our intended lake, and upon arrival, we pitched our tent and ditched all our camping gear before taking a well-deserved break for lunch.

	Early in the proceedings, Zosia crosses Washington Lake Creek--not to be confused with Washington Creek which is crossed near the trailhead.
	Zosia reaches an important junction and points which way to go.
	The morning sun peeks through some burnt timber.
	This clearing along the trail grants views of several unnamed ridges to the south.
	Zosia reaches another important junction and again points which way to go.
	The trail to Chamberlain Basin passes through another stretch of forest scorched by wildfires.

Zosia arrives at Chamberlain Divide and has her first unobstructed view of Castle Peak and its south face.

 

	Zosia descends into Chamberlain Basin on a good trail.
	Zosia arrives at one of the more popular campsites beside an unnamed lake in Chamberlain Basin.

Feeling refreshed and not wanting to squander the great weather, Zosia and I decided to ascend Castle Peak after lunch.  When we resumed hiking, we followed the continuation of the official trail and crossed the outlet of our lake to a signed T-intersection.  By a strange coincidence, several other groups of hikers also congregated there just as we arrived, and the intersection felt like an outdoor party at that moment.  Zosia and I did not linger for the chit-chats and immediately headed off-trail to begin climbing the lower slopes of Castle Peak's south face.  No one else at the party bothered to follow us.  On the lower slopes, we initially headed for an obvious grassy strip in hopes that it would provide better footing, and perhaps not surprisingly, we found a good beaten path here that led us to the base of the main gully.  This obvious wide gully rises diagonally from right to left on the south face and is mostly an easy scramble until near the top.  Note that there is a narrower and steeper gully to climber's right which is also frequently ascended by peak-baggers.  The main gully also gets narrower and steeper near the top, and on this day, there were still some lingering snow patches there.  Fortunately, we were able to avoid all the snow completely as we moved out of the gully and began scrambling up the vertically-tilted slabs to climber's right.  There is some mild exposure here, but the rocks are generally solid and easy to climb.  A few cairns help point the way, and we were soon clambering over large awkward boulders on the summit ridge.

The top of Castle Peak has at least three distinct and separate high points, and although the easternmost one is unquestionably lower, there is some dispute about which of the other two--the middle and westernmost high points--is truly higher.  Upon reaching the westernmost high point, Zosia and I were delighted to find a summit register and surveyor's benchmark.  Unfortunately, the connecting ridge to the middle high point looked too technical for my liking, and I did not bother to make the traverse to check its elevation.  Regardless, I think both high points are, at worst, roughly of equal height, and I have no problem accepting the westernmost high point as the true summit just like everyone else who had previously signed the register.

Blessed with fabulous weather and in no rush to get back to camp, Zosia and I took an extended break at the top of Castle Peak before reluctantly retracing our steps down the mountain.  The trickiest part of the descent was down-climbing the steep slabs to get back into the main gully, but fortunately, we made it down safely without any mishaps.  The subsequent hike down the gully felt long and a bit tedious but was otherwise uneventful.  When we returned to our camp beside the lake, we enjoyed a leisurely dinner before retiring to our tent for the night.

	Zosia begins her ascent of Castle Peak by following the grassy strip ahead.
	Zosia follows an obvious and wide gully which rises from right to left on the south face of the mountain.
	Most of the gully is not technically difficult to ascend.
	Higher up, the gully becomes narrower and steeper.  It is necessary here to scramble up the rocks to climber's right.
	The scrambling here requires Zosia's full attention.

Sonny and Zosia stand on the summit of Castle Peak (3598 metres).

 

	Here is the surveyor's benchmark on the summit of Castle Peak.
	The view to the southwest includes some of the lakes in Chamberlain Basin and the ridge (centre) which Zosia and Sonny ascended in 2019.  Note the huge wildfire at distant right.

The rest of the White Cloud Peaks are a dazzling sight to the north.  At bottom is Quiet Lake.

 

	Castle Lake is the most notable feature in this view to the northeast.
	Leaving the top, Zosia has to contend with big awkward boulders on the summit ridge.
	Sonny carefully picks his way down the mountain in the late afternoon. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Here is another view of Castle Peak from the campsite late in the day.

 

The following morning (15 August 2022), Zosia and I had a nice breakfast before striking camp and hiking out Chamberlain Basin.  We stuck to the official trail this time and had no issues climbing back over Chamberlain Divide.  The remainder of our hike back to Washington Creek trailhead went without a hitch, and the only worry we had was the drive out of the area.

I believe that knowing what to expect lessens the anxiety of driving rough roads, and going mostly downhill also helps.  Zosia again got out of the car a few times to move rocks, but generally, I think we had a much more efficient drive on the way out.  After making it past the roughest sections--the 3.5-kilometre stretch between Washington Creek trailhead and Three Cabins Creek trailhead--in one piece, we had no problems with the two crossings of Germania Creek.  The remainder of the drive back to the highway was still slow but comparatively easy, and once we hit pavement again, we vowed never to drive such horrible roads again...at least for the rest of the week!

	In the morning, Zosia enjoys a last tranquil moment at the campsite before departing.
	Castle Peak is reflected in a smaller lake in Chamberlain Basin.
	Here is one last look at Castle Peak from Chamberlain Divide.
	Sonny again drives his car through Germania Creek on the way out. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance:  24.0 kilometres Round-Trip Time:  28 hours 19 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain:  1749 metres GPX Data