Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point

Death Valley National Park, CA

Info

Distance
13.3 mi
Elevation gain
5,600 ft
Route type
Loop
Duration
7.5 hr
Crux
Class 3
Quality
8/10
Vehicle type
Car

Peaks bagged

1
Pyramid Peak
DPS
Zdon
6,703 ft / Rise 3,703 ft
2
Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
CaWHP
5,320 ft / Rise 1,320 ft

Trip report

After hiking Eagle Mountain and Brown Peak in the morning, I drove north past the ghost town of Amargosa to a free campground known as The Pads, which consists of dozens of large concrete slabs suitable for RVs and campers. The next morning, I departed my campsite by foot, crossing Highway 190 en route to a northwesterly wash bisecting Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point. The original plan was to climb Pyramid Peak by itself, but motivated by good weather and a pesky fear of missing out, I decided to extend my outing and bag Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point as well.

After climbing Pyramid Peak, I returned to the wash and turned left into a tributary drainage, which I followed up to the western ridge of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point. The ridge crest itself was cliffy, but I was able to keep it mostly Class 2 by dropping down to one side or the other. I skirted around a false summit before climbing the final 300 feet to the true summit, which lies about 0.1 miles northeast of the point marked on the USGS topo. On the descent, I plunged down a scree bowl on the east face, funneling into a long gully. Once back in the open desert, I followed a direct line back toward the campground, concluding my rather spontaneous midweek trip to the eastern edge of Death Valley.

Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
From Highway 190, heading through the open desert toward a northeasterly wash bisecting Pyramid Peak (left) and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point (right).
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Inside the wash.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Staying left at a fork in the wash toward Pyramid Peak, top left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Starting up the slope at the terminus of the wash.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Picking up a use trail.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Approaching a saddle along Pyramid Peak's east ridge.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
At the saddle, view back.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
From the saddle, the route continues up the slope on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Class 2.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Colorful ridgeline.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Approaching a minor saddle.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Steep and loose slope.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
The trail bends toward the small gully on the left (where the black rock meets the red rock).
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Inside the gully. I avoided the scree via the slabs on the right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Dropping into another saddle.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back toward the saddle.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
The trail stays to the left of the jagged ridgeline.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back at the cliffs along the ridge.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
The trail crosses over to the right side of the ridge. Pyramid Peak's summit is visible ahead.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Low Class 2.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Pyramid Peak's summit ahead.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Pyramid Peak summit. View southwest.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Closeup on the snowy Telescope Peak.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View north. Schwaub Peak is on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Closeup of colorful rock layers to the north.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back down the ascent ridge. Funeral Mountains Wilderness is on the left. The campground is far below on the right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Returning to the wash between Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
From the wash, I turned left into this tributary, headed east toward Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Staying right at a fork in the drainage.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
The drainage never exceeded Class 2.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back toward Pyramid Peak.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Exiting the drainage around 4,200 feet for the slope on the right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Near the eastern ridge of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point, view back toward Pyramid Peak.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
On top of the eastern ridge of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point. A false summit is seen top-right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back along the ridge.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
The ridge crest was exposed, so I dropped down to easier terrain on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Cliffy outcrop along the ridge, bypassed via the Class 2 slope on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back down the ascent drainage.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Another cliffy outcrop. Again, I stayed to the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
On top of the second cliffy outcrop. From here, I crossed over to the right side of the ridge and climbed the scree slope, seen center.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Stretch of easier terrain.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Brief section of Class 3 along the ridge crest.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back after the Class 3 section.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
From on top of the Class 3 section, view toward the cliffy false summit.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Climbing a loose slope to gain the ridge just south of the false summit.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back from just below the false summit.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Skirting around the false summit to the right, Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point's true summit comes into view.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Dropping into the saddle on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
At the saddle, starting the final climb to the summit of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Standing at the point marked Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point on the topo. However, the mound on the left is certainly taller.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Passing the descent chute on the right as I traverse to the higher mound.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point summit. View northeast. The descent chute is on the left.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View west toward Pyramid Peak.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Starting down a chute on the east face of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Entering a bowl comprised of scree.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back up the bowl.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Plunging my way down the scree slope, following a distinct use trail.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back up the scree slope from the bottom.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Class 2 gully.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back up the gully.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Exiting the gully to the right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Inside the wash to the east of Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
View back at Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point from the wash.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Following the drainage ahead.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
A large, 20-foot dry fall within the drainage, bypassed via the slope on the right.
Trip report photo for Pyramid Peak and Funeral Mountains Wilderness High Point
Walking through the open desert on the way back to the campground.

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