Pyramid Point - WA

This amazing set of sand dunes stretch along the principal valley that splits the Broadhurst ranges in the remote Rudall River National Park. The dunes run basically east west and shelter in the lee of the Miles Ridge which is the northern extremity of the valley. Some of their length is visible from the foothills of the Broadhurst Range a short distance further east of the Desert Queen Baths campsite.

Like the tines of a ancient trident the three sand hills converged at a single point almost meeting the walls of the Miles Ridge. Here the sand hills were at the highest and seemed almost as high as the surrounding ridges, the sand all but choking the narrow pinch between the main ridge or northern wall of the valley and the scalloped ridge to its south. These two form a second, hidden valley that you could not detect from the main Broadhurst Valley. From the top of the Sandhill, you get a magnificent view right along this hidden valley as it stretches away to the west. Immediately below this vantage point, the ridge juts forward, its point forming a pyramid like pinnacle. To the left (south) ran the hidden valley and to the right, a shorter gorge also ran into the Miles Ridge, also in a westerly direction. The third sand hill ran off to the east parallelling the rocky wall of the ridge.

There is no vehicle track or road to this point although it may be possible to drive a vehicle within a kilometre or so to the banks of the Rooney Creek and then walking the remaining kilometre or so to the base of the dunes. It is a steep climb up the sand ridge though.

The vista from the top takes in the vast plains to the east, the Miles ridge close to the north and another long valley to the northwest. We later travelled the length of this valley finding it rich in quartz and reefs of iron pyrites (fools gold).

Pyramid Point is approximately 3.5 kilometres walk to the north east of the Desert Queen Baths camp area. This valley is accessed through a gap in the ridge fast being consumed by the flowing sands. Camels use it as a route to forage into the inner valleys.

You would be advised to ensure appropriate equipment for the hike as well as carrying radio/satphone and plenty of water. The views are well worth the climb.