Snowpatch spire, surfs up eric and lucies bus trip. This trip report from the bugaboos is long overdue. There are both bolted and free routes throughout the group. Located near snowpatch spire, the hut replaced the original fibreglass igloos placed by bc parks. The east face of snowpatch spire with all the free routes on it.
It stands just to the west of applebee campground and is host to over 50 routes from 5. Bugaboo provincial park is an alpine rock climbers dream come true. Divine intervention topo we climbed the sunshine route on snowpatch spire which had lots of fun meatandpotatoes crack climbing. Bugaboos south howser tower, bugaboo spire, snowpatch spire trip report with pictures steph fabian buhl makes solo winter ascent of 5. Tr moderate bugaboos 1623 july 2016 british columbia. The kain route on bugaboo spire has 5 good pitches of climbing, the rest is scrambling and boot kicking in 40 degree snow and ice on the way to bugaboo snowpatch col. There are many classic climbs up the spire, including sunshine crack 5. By this point in the trip, we all felt confident and we scrambled along together unroped, enjoying the movement and the vistas and the company. Bonom and i set off to climb the kraussmccarthy route on snowpatch spire the morning after we arrived. The kain route on bugaboo spire is one of canadas most iconic alpine climbs. On july 27, we summited bugaboo spire via the ne ridge. In addition to bugaboo spire, pigeon spire and snowpatch spire, there are many enjoyable adventure mountain climbing routes on other nearby granite spires.
I knew that someday i wanted to experience this magical playground for myself these dreamy peaks are located in southeast british columbia. The two prominent peaks closest to camp are bugaboo spire and snowpatch spire. The nearest international airport is in calgary, alberta. The bugaboos consist of high quality rock spires rising from beautiful glaciers, and the variety and number of rock routes is astounding. Snowpatch spire is the obvious spire with the large snowpatch. The east face of snowpatch spire showing the route welcome to the machine pitches, 5. Climb with us in the bugaboos a spectacular alpine rock climbing area in british columbias purcell range.
A week in the bugaboos august 2026, 2016 varsity outdoor club. Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing. Besides the first ascent, i wonder how many successful ascents have even made to the lower north summit. Stanhope and brazeau tried the route in 2008 and freed all but the crux pitch, which was wet. Most of snowpatch s viable free routes are on its western face. The largest wall on snowpatch is the east face with routes ranging from 12 to 15 pitches and almost all of them being big wall in nature. Since i saw the pictures of the bugaboo splitter cracks soaring above glaciers, ive been wanting to go to the bugaboos. One 3 meter wet section of rock on the hand traverse leading to the base of the snowpatch. This dominant buttress holds over 50 routes from 5. The bugaboos have several internationally known rock climbing routes. The snowpatch route is located on the south east ridge of snowpatch spire. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world. First trip and some beta to the bugaboos chasing mastery.
The guidebook used in the 1970s gave the route no name at all bill putnam, 1971. Over the past decade, the east face, which rises above applebee campground, has had more attention than usual for. During the 1970s, i often would hear climbers proudly say. Step on the diving board to a solid reach around into the chimney. And in all honesty, it is kind of only getting done now because i have another trip coming up to the creek which i am this excited about. A headsup about rock fall in the bugaboo snowpatch col from heidi the kain hut custodian. Home trending history get youtube premium get youtube tv best of youtube music sports gaming movies. Eastpost is the closest of the spires to camp, and it took us about 2. Bugaboo rock, 1990, admits to uncertainty about the upper pitches. The bugaboos in bc canada between cranbrook and golden, truly an alpine experience to treasure and remember. The austrian climber described his route up bugaboo spire as his most difficult. The impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboo s. Once you climb up higher you can see there are actually several lakes very close to camp.
Annotation of the route on an aerial photo taken by steph abegg on a flight with john scurlock on september 24, 2011 visit on map of the howser towers and areas accessed from bugaboo snowpatch col this is a big route and requires an early start. The class 3 section terminates in a small slot chimney with a prominent diving board rock jutting out from the base. John guy and i headed to the bugaboos for a few days of climbing in late july. Welcome to bugaboo rock guides, an alpine rock climbing and mountaineering guiding service specializing in bugaboo adventures. It is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, across the crescent glacier. On my first trip to the bugaboos, i was 21 and working as a guide.
On the west face expect steeper terrain and more physical rock climbing and hand jamming than the other spires. Chris brazeau and jon walsh created this route, bolting several faceclimbing variations, and nearly freeclimbed it. The descent via the kain route went into the morning of july 28th. For routes on the north face follow the trail from the campground or hut toward the col and north face is to your left once your in the col. So, a year later, in august 2007, i returned to the bugaboos with my friend clint cummins. For a a real day, do the whole route after it meets up with the ne ridge of bugaboo spire, and then carry over and come down the kain route.
Snowpatch spire has worldclass hard alpine free routes. Where were these perfect looking granite peaks surrounded by beautiful snowfields and glaciers. During my many trips across the bugaboo snowpatch col to climb the classic towerspigeon spires west ridge, bugaboo spires kain route i always looked at the black north face of snowpatch spire, and the striking crack that it held. I thought i might mention that we had another evac due to rockfall in the col last night. For our next climb we chose the snowpatch route on snowpatch. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Bugaboos guided alpine rock climbing in the bugaboos. It was first climbed in 1940 and was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. The bs col is still in excellent shape and travel on the pigeon fork of the bugaboo glacier also. The bugaboos of british columbia are an amazing group of huge granite spires. Bugaboo provincial park is located in the purcell mountains of. The bugaboos have always been a place that i have heard reference to, as the.
All routes on the west face are approached via the bugaboosnowpatch col located on the north end of snowpatch spire. Snowpatch route was probably the only route that had a large amount of gloveless climbing, and that was primarily due to the weather was actually nice enough to not need them. Beautiful views of alpine lakes, glaciers, and surrounding alpine peaks. Ridge of pigeon spire is one of the most enjoyable technical british columbia climbing scrambles to be found anywhere and the smaller crescent spires offer enjoyable climbing at. Took out a climbers legs and gave him a deep laceration to the calf, as well as some other trauma. It runs up the left side of the eastern face of snowpatch spire and descends the western face. Kain route september 28, 2012 0 comments in places by chicks climbing. Snowpatch route, southeast corner, and wiessners route. Aac publications snowpatch spire, east face, new routes. The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire, northeast ridge bugaboo spire, snowpatch and surfs up snowpatch spire attract worldclass climbers. The route begins at the bugaboo snowpatch col and climbs mostly easy fifthclass up a ridge until the crux. First trip and some beta to the bugaboos chris september 2, 2016 september 2, 2016 1 comment ahhhh the bugaboos. There is a couple of good spots to fill up water bottles next to the snow patch.
Bugaboo spire climbing guide british columbia climbing. Ive watched the cmh heli drop a box of supplies at the hut before, where they were stashed in the closet in an icebox. There is a valley the camp looks over to the south and is surrounded by snowpatch spire, bugaboo spire and east post spire. Green and bensons bugaboo rock lists 37 routes on the peak. After 8 or so pitches, the route gains the popular 5. The trailhead is back on bugaboo creek road about 2. The current guidebook, bugaboo rock, left one name out. Mar 23, 2016 the gendarme atop the gendarme pitch of the ultra classic kain route 5. The ne ridge is a 4th class scramble route on the back. Yamnuskas bugaboos climbing guides have extensive knowledge of this area and its climbing routes. An epic storm began her grumble as we tagged the north summit. I had the pleasure of guiding the snowpatch route on snowpatch yesterday. A steep wall of rock, known as a gendarme, creates a technical climbing crux on an otherwise scrambley line. After just one visit, you will want to return on a yearly basis, alas as the date shows, i have not been there since 2006.
If you want to maximize the time spend on rock relative to your approach time, there are much better places for alpine climbing in western canada than the bugaboos. After about 30 miles from brisco, look for the bugaboo creek forest road, where you will find the bagabooseptet recreational site, and campground just down this road a ways. Of the pitches, 12 are new and one is shared with the route deus ex machina, an a3 pitch that walsh and berg free climbed at 5. Bugaboo alpine rock mountaineering alpine rock in nelson bc. The snowpatch route on spowpatch spire in the bugaboos is a classic if for no other reason in that it is one of the most prominent and visible routes from the. I knew that someday i wanted to experience this magical playground for myself these dreamy peaks are located in southeast british columbia and are part of the columbia. We hiked up from the hut and turned left at the junction of the trail to the col and the trail up to applebee camp. Here is a list of the popular routes to choose from in the bugaboos. Enjoying warm, dry weather this summer, stanhope led the crux fingertrip crack at 5. Rock climb bugaboo corner, the bugaboos mountain project.
Sunshine is on the north face, which can be approached by following the trail from the hut about a quarter way up toward the snowpatchbugaboo col to a large, loose ledge. With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. Will anyone out there ever admit to taking this beauty all the way to the true summit. Once past an initial face of class 3 scrambling, the route follows just to the right of the prominent and obvious ridge ascending from the snowpatch bugaboo col. Bugaboo provincial park is one of the best alpine climbing destinations in the world. After climbing over the col walk south to your desired route. If, like most people, you enter the bugs via the trail to conrad kain hut, you wont have to ask anyone for directions to snowpatch. Colin moorhead and i rolled out of golden at 6pm on friday august 19th, bound for the bugaboos. Large solid granite spires that have a variety of quality cracks. The quality of the granite, the wilderness setting, the sharpness of the peaks, and the beauty of the surrounding glaciers all combine to put the bugs on every climbers hit list. Overview snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. The bugaboos canadas best destination for alpine rock climbing. Getting a closer look at the kruse maccarthy route on snowpatch spire. Getting to the route involves going through bugaboo snowpatch col.
Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing school. Where this climb lacks in technical difficulty, it makes up. Bugaboos 2016 beckeychouinard, ne ridge bugaboo spire. This is one of roper and stecks fifty classic climbs of north america. From the summit of snowpatch spire, the bugaboos, british columbia, canada.
From there, its only an hour to the closest spires, and about two hours to the snowpatch. Bugaboo spire is surrounded by other spectacular spires, vertiginous snowpatch spire is a little lower but has fantastic technical routes for rock climbers. Everyone sees it while ascending the bugaboo snowpatch col, but no one does it. It may have been the finest display of alpine skullduggery ive ever witnessed, what happened at the base of pigeon spire in the bugaboos that day. Rapping off the tower at dusk, he was back at the campground by 8 p. A familiar trip up the bugaboo snowpatch col and a casual stroll across the upper vowell glacier took us to the base of the west ridge. With a quick handstand, we nibbled a little chocolate, i spread some of andrews ashes and then we hightailed down the kain route. Wed been digging deep to commit to an adventure over to the megaclassic beckeychouinard on the backside of the bugs after waiting out. The first time i saw photos of the bugaboos i was dazzled. The bugaboos are a mountain range in the purcell mountains of eastern british columbia.
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