The Bugaboos, British Columbia
Alpine Climbing in Canada's Bugaboo Provincial Park
These are photos from personal trips I (Marty Molitoris) have taken to
the Bugaboos. To me this is one of my favorite areas. If you have a chance
to climb here, you won't be disappointed - unless the weather is bad.
The
new park sign, after driving 40 KM in along a long, worn, dirt, road you
finally see you have been heading in the right direction for the past
two hours.
The
typical scene in the parking lot. All vehicles need to be wrapped in chicken
wore to prevent the porcupines from chewing the brake and coolant lines.
The approach from the lot to the Kain Hut takes on average 2 to 2 1/2
hrs and is quite steep. Sections have cable along the steep rock sections
and here a ladder.
The hike in takes you along some beautiful scenery, here is indian paintbrush
along the Bugaboo creek.
The first view of the spires you see on the way in is of the Hounds Tooth
(right side) and Anniversary Peak in the left.
After a the long uphill hike, you reach the Kain Hut. Named after Conrad
Kain, one of the first professional guides in the area. Arriving from
Austria, Conrad Kain did many first acents of these spires and other mountains
in Canada, and many of them were done while guiding his clients to the
top.
The Kain hut can sleep up to 40 people and is fully equipped with hydro-electric
power from the glacial streams. It offers heat, running water, lights,
and a full kitchen with stoves and toasters. You pack in the extra weight
and eat well here.
Bugaboo Spire
Bugaboo Spire with a cloud over it. The area is known for bad weather.
The
East Face of Bugaboo Spire in the early morning sun. The South Ridge (Kain
Route) ascend up the left side to the summit. The North East Ridge ascend
up the right skyline.
The approach to climb the South Ridge on Bugaboo Spire (Kain Route) requires you to ascend the Snowpatch-Bugaboo Col. It is frequented by rockfall (notice the large boulder and its' slide path next to Al from the day before) and requires a quick ascent for safety.
After a lot of scrambling up the ridge, you get to the technical rock
climbing. Here are the early chimney pitches.
Climbing higher up takes you to more exposed terrain. here behind Joan
is Pigeon Spire with its famous West Ridge ascending the right side.
Al on the Au'Cheval section of the ridge just before the Gendarme.
Al at the base of the Gendarme, Snowpatch Spire is behind him.
Climbing up the Gendarme.
Heading to the Snowpatch Icefall rappells on the Vowell glacier after
climbing Bugaboo Spire.
Starting up the North East Ridge
The start of the traverse
Higher on the traverse
Getting high on the ridge
The easier gullies on the route
Just below the top of the NE Ridge before rappellig down and traversing to the true summit.
Hounds Tooth
Hiking
up the Bugaboo glacier, the Hounds Tooth is the peak directly above the
front climber in the center of the photo. Marmolotta is the peak that
is to the right, up the ridgeline.
Crossing over the glacier toward the Hounds Tooth gives you a great view
of Snowpatch and Bugaboo Spire in the background.
Climbing up a steep slope and negotiating the crevasses takes us to the
rock ridge we scramble and climb to reach the summit. (This photo was
taken on the descent back down)
On
the Summit of the Hounds Tooth, looking up at Marmolotta.
Pigeon Spire
Pigeon Spire and its West Ridge (right ridgeline) is one of the popular climbs in the area. The approach to it takes us back up the Bugaboo glacier as on the approach to the Hounds Tooth, and arond the back of the spire as you see it here from the Snowpatch-Bugaboo col to gain the base of the West Ridge.
Pigeon Spire as viewd on the approach from the Bugaboo glacier. It snowed
16" yesterday and a lot of snpw needs to melt off before it can be
climbed.
A different view of Snowspire on the way to Pigeon Spire.
Partial white-out on the spire, the amount of clouds and wind prevented us from climbing the spire today.
Heading back down the glacier, the Hounds Tooth is in front of us.
Working around the crevasses on the way back down.
A good view of Bugaboo spire on the way down the Bugaboo Glacier.
The summit of Pigeon Spire in 2006
One of the Pigeon Feathers during the Pigeon Feather Traverse
Howser Massif
Yet
another incredible peak, the Hoswer Massif is comprised of the South (leftside)and
North Howser(rightside) Towers.
The backside of the Howser Massif and the infamous Becky-Chouinard route - up the left skyline.
A zoomed in view of the South Howser through the breaks in the
clouds from the summit of the Hounds Tooth.
The glacier below the Howser Massif - note the climbers in the middle of the picture and the Sphynx in the background behind them (in front of Bugaboo Spire), during the approach to the North Ridge Integral
Heading up the North Ridge Integral
Finishing the lower angle ice on the N Ridge Integral
Heading up the steeper couloir on the route to the rock ridge
SnowPatch Spire
There are many faces to Snowpatch Spire. Here are some of them from different glaciers and spires.
This
is the most common view as seen from the Kain hut and the crescent glacier.
The spire gets its name from the large snowpatch on its left side.
The popular "snowpatch route" climbs up alongside the snowpatch
and ascend the rock above to the summit. It is a route you should not
miss.
Snowpatch Spire as seen from the Hounds Tooth and Marmalotta.
Snowpatch Spire as seen from Pigeon Spire.
Snowpatch Spire as seen from Bugaboo Spire.
The Weissner Traverse in the early part of the Snowpatch Route
A bit farther along on the Weissner Traverse
Climbing up along the Snow Patch
The climbing up above the "pear"
The upper traverse a few pitches below the summit
The summit of the Snowpatch via the Snowpatch Route
Flat Top
A view up the Bugaboo Glacier. Hounds Tooth is on the right, Flat Top is the peak in the back left of the photo. Our plan in to find a way up the Bugboo Glacier to climb Flat Top.
Starting our way up the Bugaboo Glacier
Weaving our way thru the maze of crevasses. Note the climber in the middle of the photo.
Climbing out of the bergschrund to gain the snow slope above
The final pitches of the snow before the summit
A shot of Flat Top from the right side after our descent of it - on way to the Apple Valley Bivy on the backside of the Howsers.
Crescent Spires
If the weather is bad higher up, or you need a rest day, take a shorter approach to the Crescent Spires and climb one of the many great climbs there. Here we climbed "Lion's Way" , a great climb with a lot of variety.
A view of the route from the talus field. The route climbs from the bottom
right of the photo and follows corners angling slightly leftward to the
summit.
Pitch 3. After a few shorter pitches we get into the fun corners.
Starting up the corners.
At top of the corners, the fun face is above.
Climbing up the well-featured face.
Joan climbing the last few moves.
Al and Joan on the summit.
Walking back to the hut on the Crescent Glacier. The Crescent Spires are behind to the right.
