Giraud Peak
An ascent of Giraud Peak (Southeast Slope, class 2), August 9, 2026.
Timeline:
August 9, 2026. I had briefly toyed with the idea of climbing Giraud Peak as a quick one-nighter, but I had neither a wilderness permit nor time to spare, so I decided on a dayhike instead. This would be a long day, about 21 miles with 7,000 feet of elevation gain. I woke up early, had breakfast, and drove to South Lake. I set out from the trailhead at 6:40, hiking at a brisk 3 mph pace. I reached Bishop Pass at 8:51, a little over two hours in, which must be a record for me. From there it was a few miles of downhill trail to the beautiful string of lakes northwest of Knapsack Pass.
I headed up some slabby ledges to the crest of the northwest ridge of Peak 12,265 and then followed the right side of that ridge to the small saddle between Giraud Peak and Peak 12,265, reaching it at 11:20. I dropped down to the 11,600-foot level, traversed right along the southeastern flank of Giraud Peak, and headed straight up a wide gully. I reached the summit at 12:55 and enjoyed the phenomenal views in all directions – northeast toward the Palisades, west toward the Devils Crags and the Black Divide, south toward the Middle Fork of the Kings River, and north toward the Evolution Range. The summit register dates back to 1984 but is not close to full: the peak only gets a handful of ascents per year.
I stayed on the summit for about 20 minutes and then retraced my steps down the wide gully, across the face, and back up to the saddle. There I took a lunch break, then headed down the steep and loose slope to the crest of the ridge and on down to the lakes. I took a longer break near one of the tarns to replenish my water, take a footbath, and eat more food. Soon I was back on the trail for the long hike out. The remaining 8 miles seemed interminable. I reached Bishop Pass at 17:23. By then I was quite tired, and even going downhill I had trouble matching the pace I had set going up in the morning. I was back at the trailhead at 19:53.
One peculiarity of this trip is that I did not have my 4Runner, which was in the body shop being repaired after a deer collision on the drive home from my trip to Tunemah Peak. Instead I had a rental, a white Ford F-150. These things are awesome to drive, although they can't match my 4Runner off-road. (13:13 hours elapsed, 11:56 hours moving, 21.11 miles, 7,047 feet of elevation gain).