Slayer

Slayer (III 5.10c, 500')

Slayer is the big proud crack splitting the imposing north face of Black Pyramid (Peak 11,477). Comfortably done as a day-trip out of the town of Mammoth Lakes, this traditional route offers steep, moderate climbing in a classic alpine setting, with summit views stretching from Red Slate Mountain to Mono Lake. There is no fixed gear. Some loose rock and lichen are encountered.

Pitch 1:

Get right down to business with a splitter crack on an overhanging and rather blank headwall. Fierce in-your-face straight-in jamming with good rests. Once you top out the splitter, walk to the back of the ledge and move 10 feet right to surmount the next headwall via an overhanging slot with jugs and deep cracks (5.9+). Belay from slung horn or gear on big ledge.

(5.10c, 85 feet)

Alternate P1:

Simply begin where the main crack system meets the ground, in the wide broken crack located 15 feet right of the splitter. This wandering and uninspiring pitch goes at about 5.8 but is poorly protected and nowhere near the quality of the official start.

Pitch 2:

Full-value pitch of jamming and stemming a steep 4-7" crack. Loose rock at the bottom; awkward bulges at the top. Belay on big ledge where the main crack bifurcates.

(5.10a, 100 feet)

Pitch 3:

Climb the easy left-leaning ramp past two offwidth bulges. Belay from slung horn or gear anchor at the bottom of the 3rd-class ledges.

(5.9, 90 feet)

Move the belay directly up the 3rd class ledges (about 70 feet) to the base of the final cliffband.

Pitch 4:

There are many different ways to surmount the final cliffband. The most direct (and best) line ascends the second corner from the right: a thin fingercrack in a lichen-encrusted dihedral. Belay from slung horns or gear on summit ridge.

(5.8, 50 feet)

Pitch 5:

The final ridge is a fantastic and exposed 4th-class scramble that can be done with or without a rope (most will go without). It takes about 150 feet of rope to pitch it out. The most exciting section is a delightfully narrow 3rd-class catwalk between the two highest summits.

(4th class, 150 feet)

The summit elevation is 11,477 feet, offering a phenomenal panorama of the Mammoth backcountry. Sign the register and dig it!

Descent:

Continue southward along the summit crest (4th-class moves can be avoided by dropping to the left/east side of the ridge at any point) until you reach a broad saddle with a handful of cartoon-looking mini-spires. From here it is an easy eastward descent on talus to the huge meadow at Deer Pass. Walk north to the lip of the meadow, just below the east flank of the peak. From here, descend snow and/or talus back to Sky Meadow, glissading and/or screeing past the base of the route.

Park at the wilderness trailhead at the far back of Coldwater Creek Campground. Take the trail to Emerald Lake (1.0 miles), branching right at the junction for Gentian Meadows and eventually reaching Sky Meadows. Approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead, the path fizzles out into the subalpine terrain of Sky Meadows. By this point you should have a good view of the peak, which is the aesthetic black pyramid all the way at the head of the cirque (see description above). March cross-country across talus, passing below the crumbly cliffs of Blue Crag, until you reach the snowfields flanking the north face of Black Pyramid. Time to identify the route (obvious fissure running directly up face) and the starting ledge. Cross the snow to the base of the wall (careful with the schrund) and rack up below the impressive overhanging splitter crack (fingers to hands) on the headwall just left (about 15 feet) of the main crack system.

Total approach time: 2-3 hours

2x TCU to 4"

6" piece optional

all-natural belays