Hiking Pyramid Peak Aspen, Colorado USA
The 14,018 ft. summit.
One of several class IV sections
near the summit on the Keyhole route.
Although Pyramid Peak is one of Colorado's more difficult fourteeners it provides an easier climb than the neighboring Maroon Belles. The 14,018 ft. peak was first climbed in 1909 and it continues to be a worthy adventure for today's mountaineer. It sports many sections of exposed class IV scrambling and exciting vantage points that keep the climb interesting.
Tara Chesley experiencing double
exposure halfway up the steep, 30 ft. summit headwall.
Ascending the couloir to the "keyhole."
The Keyhole and the Northeast Ridge are the most popular routes up the mountain. Both are rated as class IV, but the Keyhole requires more skill in route finding and the harder climbing is encountered at a loose, 30 ft. headwall near the summit. It is best to climb Pyramid July through Sept. when the conditions will be drier and more stable.
Descending the NE Ridge. The Keyhole
route's scree slope is visible on the opposite ridge with the Maroon
Bells in the background.
The base of Pyramid Peak.
*Feature written and photographed by Franz, August 2003. Altitude measurements taken off topo map.
GUIDE NOTES AND DIRECTIONS:
To reach the trailhead, drive toward Aspen on Highway 82, turning right on Maroon Creek Rd. just before reaching town. Follow this road to its end at the Maroon Belles trailhead. Parking is limited, so get there by 6 a.m. at the latest. Recommended guidebook: Colorado's Fourteeners by Gerry Roach.