Tom Grundy's 2020 Sierra Challenge Day 9 Nameless Pyramid

8-15-2020, Getting up after just a few hours of sleep was not so easy. I got things together and headed up the road to the trailhead to hand off a rope and some webbing to Bob and Sean R to carry up to Nameless Pyramid. I was tempted to try to cut directly from the trail towards Nameless Pyramid, but I wasn't sure it would go, so I plodded on up the trail behind maybe everyone. We saw someone climb up and down it while we were heading up - later we learned it was Robert. We caught up with Tom Becht waiting at Kearsarge Pass and headed along and to the west of the ridge towards the peak. As we approached we saw various people trying to figure out how to get up to the base. I vaguely remembered a series of ramps up the west side, and those worked out fine to get us up there shortly after the rope arrived.

sunrise as we headed up Onion Valley

Nameless Pyramid - I was tempted to head straight towards it

Robert on top contemplating his life choices

Chris traversing along the ridge from Kearsarge Pass towards Nameless Pyramid

view head on of the Nameless Pyramid fin

zoomed in you can see Robert climbing down

Iris and Tom heading up the ramps near the top
Kearsarge Pass and Gould Peak behind

Iris got a pic of me Honnolding on the ledges

I free soloed this peak in an earlier challenge as a bonus peak, but remembered thinking if I had a rope I would rappel rather than down climb. Sadly I didn't remember if there was one or 2 bolts and how good they were (other than good enough for me to want to rap). JD slung a horn near the start, but otherwise I would be free soloing trailing the rope up - not too bad with climbing shoes, but it does get your attention climbing up an 18-30 inch wide steep ramp with serious consequences on either side. On top I was glad to see 2 bolts, both 1/4 inch, one a button head, the other with a bolt on top. Other than the fact that I couldn't pull them out by yanking on them I don't know how strong they were. The carabiners and sling that were up there were a little suspect from the sun damage plus they had been hit by lightning at least once causing some interesting holes and bubbles in the aluminum. I spent some time setting up an anchor with the 2 bolts and some cord all the way around the top of the spire. Then I lowered down and others took turns climbing up. We managed to get ~12 folks on top with only a bit of rope twist and skinned knees as damage. Then I went up and cleaned the old sun-bleached anchor and lightning damaged biners and rap rings and set up my own rap ring anchor and rapped down.

there was a nice flat area to hang out while waiting to summit the fin

Chris lowers down from the summit

Meanwhile JD had headed off up to University Peak for his SPS list finish. This is the Sierra Peak Section list of 247 notable peaks that JD had set out to dayhike. I think he is the 3rd person to ever complete this feat although many more have climbed all of the list, most are smart enough to do the really remote ones as overnight trips. I was "fortunate" enough to be able to join JD in some of these efforts over the years including Electra, Gilbert, Goddard, Laurel, Bloody, Caltech, Tinemaha, Emerson, San Joaquin ridge, Pyramid, Arrow, Humphreys, Muir, Lone Pine and technical climbs on Mount Russell and Norman Clyde. I'm guessing I'm missing a few there. In any case, I wanted to join him, but the weather forecast (80% chance of precip), late hour (after noon), and lack of energy made me take the wise course of heading back down to the trailhead. In retrospect this was entirely the correct choice since I certainly wouldn't have made it to the summit by his stated leave time (he didn't make it either, and he was probably at least an hour ahead of me), and I would have been caught in the weather, while not the end of the world, there might have been lightning too and I needed all the rest I could get.

Heart Lake

We went from the ridge down towards and around Pothole Lake where some people swam and then down the trail with a stop to swim in Lake Gilbert. There were people and dogs fishing and swimming in it. The water felt warmer than most lakes I have been in this year and although I didn't stay in long I didn't have to get out immediately. Then on down to the parking lot where a gathering was gathered by and under the tarp on Tom B's jeep. We sat around talking and eating and waiting for JD to return which didn't happen until later than expected - after it started raining. Soon after that we dispersed to the next trailhead, Scotty's Spring where we leveled the truck as best we could, shoveled some more food down our throats, and went to sleep.

Total for the day 1 peak, one swim. Strava said 10.6 mi (iphone 5) or 12.01 mi (iphone x) and 3904 or 6036 (obviously flawed) ft of elevation gain.

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