Post by antonkrupicka on Jan 7, 2013 2:57:45 GMT -5
Pyramid Peak has one of the more technical standard routes of any 14er in the state (Class 4), and is a perfect example of the sedimentary choss that makes up much of the Elk Range in the Aspen area.
The standard route starts and finishes at the Maroon Lake parking lot, ascending either the NE or NW ridge. I went up and down the NE ridge when I ran the mountain car-to-car on 6/19/2012 in 2:23:18.
Summit cone of Pyramid as seen from the NE ridge (standard ascent route).
Splits:
Pyramid turn-off - 14:30
Base of NE ridge headwall - 48:00
Ridge saddle - 1:03:10
Summit - 1:24:55
Ridge saddle - 1:44:50
Base of headwall - 1:48
Main trail - 2:12:30
Parking lot - 2:23:18
This was my first time on the mountain, but the technical nature and complex route-finding of the upper mountain is evidenced by the fact that the final 1000' (ridge saddle to summit) took me nearly 22min and I was able to descend this same line---losing 1000'---only 2min faster on the way back.
The standard route starts and finishes at the Maroon Lake parking lot, ascending either the NE or NW ridge. I went up and down the NE ridge when I ran the mountain car-to-car on 6/19/2012 in 2:23:18.
Summit cone of Pyramid as seen from the NE ridge (standard ascent route).
Splits:
Pyramid turn-off - 14:30
Base of NE ridge headwall - 48:00
Ridge saddle - 1:03:10
Summit - 1:24:55
Ridge saddle - 1:44:50
Base of headwall - 1:48
Main trail - 2:12:30
Parking lot - 2:23:18
This was my first time on the mountain, but the technical nature and complex route-finding of the upper mountain is evidenced by the fact that the final 1000' (ridge saddle to summit) took me nearly 22min and I was able to descend this same line---losing 1000'---only 2min faster on the way back.