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| Pyramid Couloir   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: California, United States, North America Route Type: Mountaineering Season: Spring Time Required: Half a day Difficulty: Easy snow climb
| Route Quality: | | | | Loading...
| Page By: aahz Created/Edited: Aug 19, 2009 / Aug 20, 2009 Object ID: 543006 Hits: 217 Loading... Page Score: 87.01% - 4 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Overview  Pyramid Couloir and the northwest face of Pyramid Peak
The Pyramid Couloir is an obvious and aesthetic line accessing the west ridge of Pyramid Peak from the northwest. It is an easy snow climb in the spring, suitable for beginners, but melts into a dangerous gully of loose talus later in the season. It can be done as a day hike or you can camp at Lake Sylvia (see main Pyramid Peak for red tape associated with hiking and camping here). Because of the 6 mile approach and the fact that this aspect of the mountain is only visible from the basin above Lake Sylvia and high on neighboring Mt. Agassiz, this route receives few visitors and little attention despite the popularity of Pyramid Peak itself.Getting ThereGetting to the trailhead
The Pyramid Couloir can be reached from Lyons Creek Trailhead located 4 miles north on Wrights Road from Highway 50 between Kyburz and Strawberry. Wrights Road is not plowed in the winter.
Lyons Creek approach from the summit of Pyramid Peak |
Approach
Follow the Lyons Creek Trail for about 5 miles to Lake Sylvia. This is a pretty easy trail that only gains ~1300ft over its length. This trail has spectacular wildflowers in July most years, but if you're headed for the couloir you probably won't see that. Early in the spring, the snow often obscures the trail 3-4 miles in, but I've never had a problem finding my way to Lake Sylvia with a little ingenuity. Go past Lake Sylvia on the left and follow the use trail or go cross country for another 3/4 mile up the meadows, talus, and slabs to the upper unnamed tarn below the face of Pyramid Peak. Stay climbers right of the grove of trees above the meadow over whichever terrain seems easiest (since it varies with snow cover). If there is still a lot of snow you may be able to go straight up toward the mountain from the east side of Sylvia, but the area south of the meadow is loose and annoying if there isn't snow. You will get your first glimpses of the route (and the northwest face of Pyramid Peak) on this section of the approach once you gain some elevation past Sylvia. Pass around either side of the unnamed lake (whichever is easiest) and you are at the base of the climb. Route Description  Looking back down the Pyramid Couloir
This is the obvious couloir that sits just right of the triangular northwest face of the mountain, connecting the upper tarn with the weakness in the west ridge. There isn't too much to say about this climb since it's so straightforward. The snow angle varies from 30-50 degrees, but usually only a very short stretch at the top is above 45 degrees (if any of it is at the time).
Overall, it is a short, sweet climb that is excellent for beginners on snow. The summit is a short scramble from where the couloir tops out.
Descend via West Ridge Route to Lake Sylvia if it is still filled with snow, otherwise descend the north ridge to the obvious notch and follow the 3rd class slabs back to the tarn (I'll put up a route page for the North Ridge Notch eventually). The gully that gains the west ridge from Sylvia, while it is still snow covered, is a perfect place to practice self-arrest and snow skills if you're camping there to access this climb. Without snow (or with only a little bit), I find this gully a bit treacherous and recommend avoiding it due to annoyance rather than difficulty.
Conditions in the couloir vary depending on season, though a snow patch of some sort (and a little bit of ice) is here year round. It can range from solid snow all the way from Sylvia to only a steep patch near the top of the gully. The best time for this route is spring, as soon as Wrights Road is passable. It usually starts to melt out in June, so other routes would be better later in the season as the direct snow line starts to get broken up by patches of loose talus. However, the route can sometimes be done in the fall depending on snowfall patterns and when Wrights Road gets shut down for the winter.
Essential GearIce axe, crampons (optional but handy most of the time). Consider a helmet (I've seen rock fall on this route, though it is not necessarily prolific). I've seen it done by a party of four that were short roped and had only trekking poles, but I wouldn't recommend it.
 Climbers about to top out
Miscellaneous InfoThis line (along with the northwest face) probably doesn't get much love because of the long approach for such a short stretch of climbing. I've only seen one other group climb this route (and they were using our kicksteps!), though certainly others must have done it.
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Sierra Nevada
