The best and most accesible alpine granite climbing area in canada. Bugaboos guided alpine rock climbing in the bugaboos. The mountain range is located in the core of the purcell mountains, on the border between british columbia and alberta. The impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboos. Moderate climbing past old pitons on quality rock put us immediately behind another party. Snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. But no regrets, lions way was fantastic with a 2 star rating from the guide book, we were not disappointed. Snowpatch spire, east face, new routes canada, purcell mountains, bugaboos over the last decade or so, the 500m east face of snowpatch spire has been transformed into one of the finest alpine free climbing walls in north america.
Bugaboo spire, and the rest of the bugaboo group, are legendary for steep, clean, solid granite, high above easy glacier approaches. 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. We also wanted to take a peek at the beckeychouinard on south. Tents are perched on about three tiers of rock ledges below crescent glacier. A long and challenging climb to the top of snowpatch spire, which sits immediately above the hut and campground. 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. Stanhope, segal free bugaboos tom egan memorial route at 5. Pigeon spire, south howser tower, bugaboo spire, and snowpatch spire all conjure up some of the great moments in the history of north american alpine. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world famous. Bugaboos south howser tower, bugaboo spire, snowpatch spire trip report with pictures steph fabian buhl makes solo winter ascent of 5. Ascents of bugaboo spire pidgeon spire snowpatch spire the howser towers. Our previous plan to climb the north east ridge of bugaboo spire was on hold do to wet icy conditions, and the kain route was blocked by an unsafe ascent up the bugaboo snowpatch col. For years there were several attempts to climb the spire. Snowpatch spire and eastpost rest day snowpatch route 5.
During my many trips across the bugaboosnowpatch col to climb the classic towerspigeon spires west ridge, bugaboo spires kain. Stay left of the stacked left facing flakes, climbing the face on small face cracks, through small roofs gaining a sling belay. It was first climbed in 1940 and was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. In addition to bugaboo spire, pigeon spire and snowpatch spire, there are many enjoyable adventure mountain climbing routes on other nearby granite spires.
Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing. Rapping off the tower at dusk, he was back at the campground by 8 p. On july 27, we summited bugaboo spire via the ne ridge. Applebee camp is located in an amazing picturesque alpine setting with bugaboo spire and snowpatch spire towering above. Morning sun on snowpatch spire and the bugaboo snowpatch col. Bugaboos 2007 beckeychouinard, nw ridge hounds tooth. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents with. On my first trip to the bugaboos, i was 21 and working as a guide. Im breaking it up into a few reports for the individual climbs. It stands just to the west of applebee campground and is host to over 50 routes from 5. This mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. Jan 14, 2019 jen climbing past the snowpatch on snowpatch spire. Five things to know about the bugaboos gripped magazine.
The bugaboos of british columbia are an amazing group of huge granite spires towering above a sea of glaciers. Bugaboo spire as seen from the summit of snowpatch. The bugaboo provincial park is located in the purcell range of british columbia, off of highway 95. Free climbers may challenge with the east face of snowpatch spire or howser massif. Will stanhope and matt segal free the tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire, bugaboos, british columbianow the hardest alpine climb in north america. It is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, across the crescent glacier. The standard approach is via bugaboo snowpatch col. Stanhope redpoints bugaboos hardest free climb climbing. Bugaboo spire climbing guide british columbia climbing.
They deserve a place high on the priority list of anyone with an attraction to wilderness setting and a love of the classic alpine environment. There is a map in the photo gallery for krausmccarthy approach beta. There are two classic british columbia climbing routes. Mar 27, 2020 bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. For over 100 years, climbers have been pushing climbing standards in the bugaboos and thousands of climbers visit every year. It is the moderate classic in the range, and was everything we hoped for. To get to the bugaboos travel 17 miles north of radium hotsprings or 48 miles south of golden on highway 95 depending on where your coming from to the really small town of brisco. Most of the routes on the bugaboo spire are accessed via the crescent glacier which is an easy hike from the kain hut and applebee campground. The bugaboos have several internationally known rock climbing routes. When you round the final corner on the long and winding logging road and see the full glory of the towering, dark granite spires rising directly out of tumbling glaciers, you will be in awe. The bugaboos are, for many, the holy grail of alpine rock climbing in north america. Bugaboo spire is one of canadas great peaks and our certified bugaboos rock climbing guide staff this area very well. Snowpatch spire, east face, new routes aac publications. First climbed in 1916 by conrad kain, it has been a treasured objective ever since.
Rocky spires launch off from almost every direction, and if you squint, you might see climbers right from camp. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world. It is great climbing but it does have more of a cragging feel then the main spires in the bugaboos. Our goal was to climb the northeast ridge of bugaboo spire, and perhaps the west ridge of pigeon or the southeast shoulder of snowpatch. 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 kain hut. Over the last decade or so, the 500meter high east face of snowpatch spire has been transforming into one of the finest alpine rock faces in north america. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent aac. 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. Bugaboo provincial park is located in the southern british. Aug 01, 2016 bugaboos south howser tower, bugaboo spire, snowpatch spire trip report with pictures steph fabian buhl makes solo winter ascent of 5. Three new friends we met in camp heading for the superdirect on snowpatch spire. In all, the bugaboos linkup totaled approximately 50 pitches.
Unlike pigeon and bugaboo spire which are typically guided by one or two routes only, snowpatch spire has no easy way up but offers several different routes in the 5. The range consists of about half dozen of granite spires with summits as high as 10,000 feet. Finally its first ascent was done in the summer of 1940 by jack arnold and raffi bedayn. Bonom and i set off to climb the kraussmccarthy route on snowpatch spire the morning after we arrived.
If, like most people, you enter the bugs via the trail to conrad kain hut, you wont have to ask. Bugaboo spire pigeon spire snowpatch spire eastpost spire. Dec 18, 2015 august 17, 2015 canadian will stanhope has redpointed the tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire. The descent via the kain route went into the morning of july 28th. The steep walls and ridges of bugaboo, snowpatch and pidgeon spires as well as the howser towers are what hold the attention of most of our guests. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent canada, british columbia, purcell mountains, bugaboos after more than 20 seasons in the bugaboos, i wasnt quite sure how much energy i had to devote to my beloved backyard spires. It is just nonintuitive that you downclimb about 1015 ft, traverse over about 10 ft, then climb back up above the belay before placing any gear. There are both bolted and free routes throughout the group. Soon after my first trip to the bugaboos in 2006 click for trip report and photos, i began to make plans to return to this amazing climbing meca. Alpine climbing, trad climbing and aid climbing 8 20. Tom egan wall, snowpatch spire, bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. Its right in front of you when you reach the hut, the distinctive snowfield that gives the mountain its name front and center. This is also a great area for a backpacking trip if you looking for a challenging trip with spectacular alpine scenery. Rock climbing in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos mountain project.
Description the impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboos. 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. Tom egan wall, snowpatch spire, bugaboos supertopo rock. Bugaboos 2016 beckeychouinard, ne ridge bugaboo spire. Nov 01, 2012 from the summit of snowpatch spire, the bugaboos, british columbia, canada. Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing school. Found on the south end of the west face, surfs up is accessed via the snowpatch bugaboo col. Snowpatch spire seen from p2 of the ne ridge of bugaboo spire. Climb the bugaboos with our acmg ifmga certified guides. Views of and from the mountain in any direction are gutwrenchingly beautiful.
Looking at our descent route off bugaboo spire, the south ridge and the summit traverse sun sets on a climbing day. Climbing with his longtime partner on the project, matt segal from the u. For the third consecutive summer alpine season, pro climbers matt segal and canadian will stanhope ventured to the rugged, granite spire paradise of the bugaboos to try and free an old aid line, the tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire. The mountain is located at the southwest corner of the vowell glacier, within the bugaboo mountain range in the purcell mountains, a subrange of british columbias columbia mountains, the highest of the three spires is the north tower at 3,412 m 11,194 ft. From the kain hut head north toward the bugaboosnowpatch col and turn off before the col as if heading to the crescent spire. 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. The main spires are bugaboo, pigeon, the howsers, snowpatch and crescent.
The objective of this guided mountaineering program is simple. For our next climb we chose the snowpatch route on snowpatch spire iv 5. Dont miss out on the west ridge of pigeon spire iv 5. Getting a closer look at the kruse maccarthy route on snowpatch spire. During my many trips across the bugaboo snowpatch col to climb the classic towerspigeon spire s west ridge, bugaboo spire s kain routei always looked at the black north face of snowpatch spire, and the striking crack that it held. Divine intervention topo we climbed the sunshine route on snowpatch spire which had lots of fun meatandpotatoes crack climbing. Html guide warning guide view may take some time to load for areas with large numbers of routes instant pdf generic precreated pdf for bugaboos the file is 0. Wed been digging deep to commit to an adventure over to the megaclassic beckeychouinard on the backside of the bugs after waiting out rainstorms. The approach involved a bit of glacier travel with some steep scree and loose dirt slopes to get up to the notch between snowpatch and son of snowpatch. The towering granite spires of the bugaboos in the purcell range of interior bc are legendary for classic bigwall climbs in a remote and stunning location. We climbed the bugaboo spire, pigeon spire, snowpatch spire, eastpost spire, and crescent spire in bugaboo provincial park.
With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. Welcome to bugaboo rock guides, an alpine rock climbing and mountaineering guiding service specializing in bugaboo adventures. If a summer like 2009 happens again, then both climbing and rappelling the pigeon snowpatch rappels might be a new way to approach the west face routes. What used to be a face known primarily as an aid climbing venue, is now covered in free climbing lines, although mostly difficult ones, usually reqiuring at least a couple pitches of 5. From the top of the spire, numerous rappels are made down the backside in order to reach the glacier and the way back to camp. Others decided to work their way up the lasercut northeast ridge of bugaboo spire. Climb in one of the worlds great alpine rock climbing areas. Aug 03, 2017 ant and michael climb the west ridge pigeon spire and north east ridge of bugaboo spire. Snowpatch spires with our route marked as seen from pigeon spire.
Book a guided ascent with the professionals at cloud nine guides. From the summit of snowpatch spire, the bugaboos, british columbia, canada. 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. Yamnuskas bugaboos climbing guides have extensive knowledge of this area and its climbing routes. The bugaboos are a british columbia provincial park in canadas purcell mountains. A closer look at the striking east face of pigeon spire. Oct 24, 2016 the bugaboos are a worldclass alpine playground with striking granite spires that contain some of the most beautiful vertical cracks on earth for rock climbing. Climbscramble up easy fifth class to a shallow wide ledge.
The drinking water source is a small glacial lake above camp and is actually piped down and fetched from a spigot. Climb scramble up easy fifth class to a shallow wide ledge. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents. We were headed up to the bugaboos for a week and a half. As long as you pay decent attention to the topo, you can stay on route. This rock climb is one of the most soughtafter routes in. 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. It runs up the left side of the eastern face of snowpatch spire and descends the western face. 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. Howser spire or howser spire massif, is a group of three distinct granite peaks, and the highest mountain of the canadian bugaboo spires. Climb bugaboo spire, ne ridge, bugaboo spire trailhead.
Overview snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. Pigeon spire, south howser tower, bugaboo spire, and snowpatch spire all conjure up some of the great moments in the history of north american alpine climbing. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent. We would climb its west ridge right skyline later in the trip. Snowpatch spire is on the left, and bugaboo spire is on the right. During my many trips across the bugaboosnowpatch col to climb the classic towerspigeon spires west ridge, bugaboo spires kain routei always looked at the black north face of snowpatch spire, and the striking crack that it held. There is a fair bit of ridge climbing required to get the summit after topping out surfs up. The first reconnaissance was made in 1916 by conrad kain, who commented later that the spire was impossible to climb. This climb has about 20 pitches of climbing and the rock quality is excellent throughout. The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire, northeast ridge bugaboo spire, snowpatch and surfs up snowpatch spire attract worldclass climbers.
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