Snowpatch route bugaboos climbing

Bugaboos south howser tower, bugaboo spire, snowpatch spire trip report with pictures steph fabian buhl makes solo winter ascent of 5. As much as i enjoyed being in the alpine, i had several moments that i got nervous and was at the edge of my comfort zone. 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. The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire. 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. This is a good way to enjoy the bugaboos without doing any rock climbing, and can also be a good option during poor weather. We used a left variation on pitches three to five, ascending a long rightfacing corner to rejoin the line in the guidebook at the roof. The last two climbs of the trip were both on the massive snowpatch spire. With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. This is also a great area for a backpacking trip if you looking for a challenging trip with spectacular alpine scenery. The route begins at the bugaboosnowpatch col and climbs mostly easy fifthclass up a ridge until the crux. The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire, northeast ridge bugaboo spire, snowpatch and surfs up snowpatch spire attract worldclass climbers. This is also a great area for a backpacking trip if you looking for a challenging trip with.

Tr bugaboos beckey chouinard, snowpatch route, british. 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. Climb the kain route on bugaboo spire, bugaboo spire trailhead. Apr 27, 2020 tom egan wall, snowpatch spire, bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. Tom egan wall, snowpatch spire, bugaboos supertopo rock. 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. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent canada, british columbia, purcell mountains, bugaboos. 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. There are both bolted and free routes throughout the group. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world famous. 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. Aug 01, 2017 john guy and i headed to the bugaboos for a few days of climbing in late july. Snowpatch route, southeast corner, and wiessners route. The descent via the kain route went into the morning of july 28th.

The mountain range is located in the core of the purcell mountains, on the border between british. August 17, 2015 canadian will stanhope has redpointed the tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire in the bugaboos. 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. For routes on the north face follow the trail from the campground or hut toward the col. A competent team can run up the route fairly fast by. The bugaboos are north americas answer to the french alps, offering the same high quality granite above beautiful glaciers like those found in chamonix, but with one big difference there are no telepheriques or huge crowds here, only the isolation and grandeur characteristic of the mountains of canada. The rock quality is exceptional and the whole route, top to bottom is. May 27, 2016 climbing in the bugaboos definitely opened up my world of climbing. Green and bensons bugaboo rock lists 37 routes on the peak. Mar 27, 2020 bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors.

Snowpatch spire 10050 is one of the hardest of the bugaboo. There are many classic climbs up the spire, including sunshine crack 5. Its also a terrific option for less experienced climbers to choose to climb with a guide. Snowpatch spire has worldclass hard alpine free routes. The scenic route a climbing misadventure on the northeast ridge of bugaboo spire. Bugaboo spire is one of canadas great peaks and our certified bugaboos rock climbing guide staff this area very well. 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. A steep wall of rock, known as a gendarme, creates a technical climbing crux. A competent team can run up the route fairly fast by simulclimbing much of the middle portion of the route which angles past the left side of snowpatch s namesake, a large patch of ice and snow hung on the left side of the east face.

Since i saw the pictures of the bugaboo splitter cracks soaring above glaciers, ive been wanting to go to the bugaboos. Climb bugaboo spire, ne ridge, bugaboo spire trailhead. The bugaboos of british columbia are an amazing group of huge granite spires towering above a sea of glaciers. Bugaboo, snowpatch, pigeon and the howser towers, this place has to be seen and experienced in order to really believe it from the beckeychouinard v 5. Jon walsh on the second pitch of the beckeymather route on the east face of snowpatch spire in the bugaboos, right off the belay. Stanhope, segal free bugaboos tom egan memorial route at 5.

Top on my list was the beckeychouinard route on south howser tower a fifty classic. Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing. 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. 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. We climbed two classic routesbeckeychouinard on south howser and snowpatch route on snowpatch spire. Tom egan wall, snowpatch spire, bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. 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.

A steep wall of rock, known as a gendarme, creates a technical climbing crux on an otherwise scrambley line. 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. The area however, is also home to numerous moderate mountaineering and scrambling objectives which allow for good alternate options during periods. The bugaboos is one of the worlds premier alpine rock climbing destinations. 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. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents with. After climbing over the col walk south to your desired route. There are routes suitable for completely new alpine climbers to experienced rock climbing looking to push grades. What to climb on your trip will depend on skill and the current conditions. May 04, 2017 the scenic route a climbing misadventure on the northeast ridge of bugaboo spire.

Overview snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. Divine intervention topo we climbed the sunshine route on snowpatch spire which had lots of fun meatandpotatoes crack climbing. Im breaking it up into a few reports for the individual climbs. The bugaboos is home to north americas most amazing alpine rock. Dec 18, 2015 august 17, 2015 canadian will stanhope has redpointed the tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire in the bugaboos. A three hour hike brings you to the commodious conrad kain hut which provides the base for a. First climbed in 1916 by conrad kain, it has been a treasured objective ever since. Rock climbing routes in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos. The north east buttress is the most popular rock climbing route on bugaboo spire.

Climbing with his longtime partner on the project, matt segal from the u. The kain route on bugaboo spire is one of canadas most iconic alpine climbs. Will stanhope and matt segal have freed the 1978 aid line tom egan memorial route on the east face of snowpatch spire, bugaboos, 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. 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. Getting to the route requires mountaineering skills, and frequent storms and exposure add risks and challenges that arent well represented in the. Stanhope redpoints bugaboos hardest free climb climbing. Located in the bugaboos provincial park, fred beckeys and yvon chouinards bold climbing lines follows.

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 or the bugs bugaboo provincial park is regarded as canadas best destination for alpine rock climbing. For our next climb we chose the snowpatch route on snowpatch spire iv 5. Climbing in north america, chris jones, 1976 nomenclature. Climb in one of the worlds great alpine rock climbing areas. Rock climbing in the bugaboos sylvan rocks climbing school. However, this is a serious alpine climb, and further research of the current guidebook, and other resources is recommended. Bugaboos 2007 beckeychouinard, nw ridge hounds tooth. The impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboos. The climb ascends the southeast corner of snowpatch spire just left of its namesake snowpatch. Located near snowpatch spire, the hut replaced the original fibreglass igloos placed by bc parks.

Snowpatch spire stands at 3,063 metres at the centre of the granite bugaboo towers. Bugaboo spire climbing guide british columbia climbing. The bugaboos are a british columbia provincial park in canadas purcell mountains. The beckey chouinard may be the best alpine rock climb on the planet. If you head out to climb almost any of the bugaboos, youll probably skirt under or around snowpatch. Just got back from 5 days in the bugaboos with my friend clint cummins. Welcome to bugaboo rock guides, an alpine rock climbing and mountaineering guiding service specializing in bugaboo adventures. On july 27, we summited bugaboo spire via the ne ridge. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world. You will eventually reach conrad kain hut and along the way have amazing scenery and views of glaciers.

It was first climbed in 1940 and was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. The bugaboos have an enormous amount of excellent alpine rock climbing routes to choose from. Jen climbing past the snowpatch on snowpatch spire. All listings find crag find climbing wall find outdoor shop find climbing club find accommodation find instructorguide find gear manufacturers find goodsservices. A competent team can run up the route fairly fast by simulclimbing much of the middle portion of the route which angles past the left side of snowpatchs namesake, a large patch of ice and snow hung on the left side of the. The largest wall on snowpatch is the east face with routes ranging from 12 to. The bugaboos have several internationally known rock climbing routes. The current guidebook, bugaboo rock, left one name out. 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. Second, walk north to bugaboosnowpatch col and descend via rappels or downclimbing the 40 degree snow or ice. The best and most accesible alpine granite climbing area in canada. Snowpatch spire was first climbed in 1940 by j arnold and r.

Private climbing departures are very popular and are available from late june to early september. Climbers and hikers often use the 40person conrad kain hut, maintained by the alpine club of canada. The howser towers from half way up snowpatch spire. First trip and some beta to the bugaboos chris september 2, 2016 september 2, 2016 1 comment ahhhh the bugaboos. The last rappel often requires two ropes to get past the bergschrund. Bugaboo spire is one of the most phenomenal features in the climbing world. We climbed two classic routes beckeychouinard on south howser and snowpatch route on snowpatch spire. We climbed the sunshine route on snowpatch spire which had lots of fun meatandpotatoes crack climbing. Rapping off the tower at dusk, he was back at the campground by 8 p. It is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, across the. The bugaboos are, for many, the holy grail of alpine rock climbing in north america. In all, the bugaboos linkup totaled approximately 50 pitches. There are two classic british columbia climbing routes. On the west face expect steeper terrain and more physical rock climbing and hand jamming than the other spires.

Despite some somewhat iffy weather, we managed to climb some stellar routes. If you want to maximize the time spend on rock relative to your approach time, there are. Bugaboos supertopos climbing discussion forum is the worlds most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. 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. Snowpatch spire, with pigeon spire in the background on the right, hounds tooth and marmolata spire on the left. What used to be a face known primarily as an aid climbing venue, is now covered in freeclimbing lines, although mostly difficult ones, usually reqiuring at least a couple pitches of 5.

John guy and i headed to the bugaboos for a few days of climbing in late july. Bugaboos guided alpine rock climbing in the bugaboos. Feb 06, 2012 the beckey chouinard may be the best alpine rock climb on the planet. After a couple misstarts, we did some lostonsnowpatch route, to the left of north tower direct and right of flamingo fling.

Jan 14, 2019 jen climbing past the snowpatch on snowpatch spire. Therefore, the snowpatch route offers one of the more easily accessible alpine moderate routes in all of the bugaboos. The bugaboos are north americas answer to the french alps, offering the same high quality granite above beautiful glaciers like those found in chamonix, but with one big difference there are no telepheriques. The route takes a circuitous path to the base of the snowpatch, then up easy. Trip and route logistics climbing news, videos, gear. A trip to kain hut is quite a challenging backpack. Bugaboo spire trailhead search nearby added by erik turner. The kain route is the easiest and the original ascent route, first climb from the valley bottom in 1916. Bugaboos beckey chouinard, snowpatch route, hounds tooth date.

Snowpatch spire 10,050 feet this dominant buttress holds over 50 routes from 5. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents. The adventure of the bugaboos starts almost at the. Climbing in north america, chris jones, 1976 nomenclature this route goes by three names. They climbed the pitch route in a single, fourday push, from august 11 to 14, calling the free climb grade v 5. But the story twists, bedayn and arnold found the upper headwall to be well within wiessners ability. There is more than one bolted route down the couloir. The impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboo s. Trip and route logistics rock and ice magazine climbing. Bugaboo provincial park is one of the best alpine climbing destinations in the world. 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. The mountain range is located in the core of the purcell mountains, on the border between british columbia and alberta. It stands just to the west of applebee campground and is host to over 50 routes from 5. Snowpatch spire and eastpost rest day snowpatch route 5.

Please visit our bugaboos ascents page for more details price. Rock climbing in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos mountain project. 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. First trip and some beta to the bugaboos chasing mastery. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent. One of the most spectacular climbing routes in western canada, the kain route up bugagoo spire is a complete classic for experienced climbers. Hiking and climbing bugaboos provincial park, bc, canada duration. During my many trips across the bugaboosnowpatch col to climb the classic towerspigeon spires west ridge, bugaboo spires kain routei.