My main goal of the trip was the ne ridge of bugaboo spire, so we decided to attempt the ne ridge. The northeast ridge of bugaboo spire is an incredible route that i would recommend. Bugaboo spire and its spectacular ne ridge seen from the col. Bugaboos, british columbia, canada, guided rock climbing. It has some of the most spectacular alpine climbing in canada. The route begins at the crescent bugaboo col, to reach this cross the crescent glacier, then climb class 4 rock pretty scary in the dark to the col. The ne ridge of bugaboo spire is included as one of the 50 classic climbs of north america and it lived up to the hype. Bugaboo spire climbing guide british columbia climbing. North east ridge click on picture for larger version it was summer of 1993. Bugaboo spire north east ridge bugaboo spire is likely the most wellknown granite spire in canada. Join brent, an ifmgacertified mountain guide, for this challenging, scenic and diverse weeklong climbing expedition in the bugaboos, in eastern british columbia. Rock climbing multipitch climbing sport and trad climbing experience rock climbing.
Rapping off the top of bugaboo spire after climbing the ne ridge. Featuring the kain route and the ne ridge route, the bugaboo spire is definitely the most popular in the bugs. First climbed in 1916 by conrad kain, it has been a treasured objective ever since. Mount baker, mount garibaldi, mount matier or simple alpine rock routes such as. Aug 28, 2019 our initial plan was to head down to the bugaboos a week earlier, but according to a weather forecast, a storm was coming, so we decided. The bugaboos have several internationally known rock climbing routes.
This photo will be published in a new book to be released next year regarding classic climbs. Like so many bugaboos climbs, the climbing is varied, the rock good and the position spectacular. The climbing on the north ridge is mostly 4th class with a few sections of easy 5th. Bugaboo adventures 2020 black sheep adventure sports. It is a beautiful ridge that is stacked with pitches of fun climbing, leading to a very proud summit in one of the premier alpine rock climbing destinations in the world.
Apparently they fought their way to the summit through snow ice and cold while five other parties retreated back to the hut. Bugaboo spire north east ridge yamnuska mountain adventures. The northeast ridge climbing route is the right skyline. The bugaboos are located in the northwestern extreme of the purcells in the columbia mountains, in the southeast of the province. The plan for this year was to follow up last years successful climb of mount sir donald 5.
It is the moderate classic in the range, and was everything we hoped for. The east face had deservedly garnered a reputation for natural rockfall, this is compounded by human generated rockfall from climbers traversing above on the immensely popular kain and ne ridge routes. Alpine rock acmg certified mountain guide in canada and. Im at about 3 or 4 right now, and between his continued climbing and my continued aging, the number of remaining possibilities has become downright minuscule. The last group that we were waiting on from the ne ridge on bugaboo spire the previous day was just arriving back at the hut. From the kain hut head north toward the bugaboo snowpatch col and turn off before the col as if heading to the crescent spire. Climb the kain route on bugaboo spire, bugaboo spire trailhead. Welcome to bugaboo rock guides, an alpine rock climbing and mountaineering guiding service specializing in bugaboo adventures. Walking 200m back to the base in rock shoes should be okay with soft afternoon snow and the gentle slope.
Polishing turds is a colorful expression that i enjoy in relationship to this phenomena of looking back rather than forward. The bugaboos are, for many, the holy grail of alpine rock climbing in north america. Climb the bugaboos with our acmg ifmga certified guides. The summit is just a halfway point ed viesturs looking. Searching for alpine perfection in the bugaboos climbing. There are both bolted and free routes throughout the group.
July 30, 20 fred beckey lists this route as one of his 100 favorite climbs, and i would agree that it deserves more attention, and it gets far more trash talk of loose rock than it deserves. Whitney campground and a 3rd class descent, this sounded like an excellent way to spend a day without a partner. Bugaboo spire was our first mission in the bugaboos, and it quelled my anxiety that i had felt about climbing in the area. Robert kruszyna and william putnams climbers guide to the interior ranges of british columbia south the aac and the acc, 1977 is a smaller volume covering a much larger area. It has inspired generations of climbers with its stunning appearance and highquality summit climbing. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents with. The next morning, we got an early alpine start to beat the crowds on the notoriously popular ne ridge of bugaboo spire.
Sir donald is featured in the book 50 classic climbs of north america and for good reason. Steph abeggs climbing trip reports, interesting projects, and outdoor photography. Find more rock climbing trips in the british columbia. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world. I began the site as a means to display my outdoor photography. With such an amazing ridge line, it is not surprising that the ne ridge of bugaboo spire is a popular climb it is one of the fifty crowdedclassic climbs. Go big once again and hit up one of the many great routes on snowpatch spire such as the snowpatch route 5. Joe buszowski and bernhard ehmann made the first winter ascent in. Aug 28, 2019 our initial plan was to head down to the bugaboos a week earlier, but according to a weather forecast, a storm was coming, so we decided to wait it out. After the course, students typically look to tackle glaciated peaks, such as. Guided climbing in the bugaboos on bugaboo spire pigeon snow patch east post rock skills courses granite ascents of rock routes with a guide in the purcells conrad kain hut. Getting there 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.
Photos by gerhard schaar nesteled in british columbias purcell mountains is bugaboo provincial park home to some the finest alpine multipich granite in north america. Descending the ne ridge from this point is relatively short and painless with some downclimbing and straightforward rappels. As my addiction to mountaineering and rock climbing took a firm hold, my photos became more climbing oriented, and the site evolved into an evergrowing wealth of climbing trip reports. From applebee hike north out of camp onto the moraine and follow the same route as if going to crescent spire. It is great climbing but it does have more of a cragging feel then the main spires in the bugaboos. Bugaboos climbing guides professional guided ascents. The northeast ridge of bugaboo spire with lisa and pavel. Oct 03, 2006 viewed from the top of crescent spire one gets a great look at the classic northeast ridge and the entire spire as it shoots into the sky like a sharks tooth. Bugaboos 2016 beckeychouinard, ne ridge bugaboo spire. Climb bugaboo spire, ne ridge, bugaboo spire trailhead. 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. But the bugaboos are not just another climbing area. Bugaboo spires south ridge kain route seen from the west ridge of pigeon spire.
Thrusting up into the sky from their glacier surroundings is a cluster of awesome granite spires beautiful to behold, even more amazing to climb to the top of. Either of the two will be a major undertaking and standing on top of bugaboo spire should be every climber. First trip and some beta to the bugaboos chasing mastery. Jimmy heading towards the south summit of bugaboos spire, after we climbed the ne ridge. Our goal is to dial up our participants in glacier travel, crevasse rescue and alpine rock tactics. Excellent rock on one of north americas great peaks. 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 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. Bugaboo spire, snowpatch, pigeon, the howser towers. This summer jon walsh and friends have been logging hours in the bugaboos, freeing old aid lines and climbing new walls. Bugaboo spire, ne ridge multiple bugaboo spire, kain rte multiple pigeon spire, w ridge multiple snowpatch spire, surfs up. Jun 21, 2019 turn off highway 95 at brisco and follow the bugaboo creek forest service road an active logging road, be carefull for 46 kms to the trailhead.
Combined with an approach of only a few of miles from the mt. Climbing guiding acmg certified mountain guide in canada. Bugaboo spire is one of the most phenomenal features in the climbing world. I had a wife and a one year old child, and life was pretty busy. East face of bugaboo is one of the dominant features in the applebee cirque. Canadian rockies alpine guides the bugaboos, world famous. Bugaboo glacier provincial park in british columbia contains within its boundaries some of the finest rock climbing in the world. The aforementioned bugaboo rock the mountaineers, isbn 0898862337 is a terrific reference and an entertaining read. Along the way we run into another elderly climber who is talking nonstop about their late return from bugaboo spire s ne ridge and the hassle he had getting his social security check. The spire was first climbed by conrad kain in 1916. I then traversed along the upper end of the pigeon fork of the bugaboo glacier, over the west ridge of pigeon, over the bugaboo snowpatch col, and back down to applebee camp. Bugaboo spire is surrounded by other spectacular spires, vertiginous snowpatch spire is a little lower but.
As we drove to canada i was filled with anxiety about climbing in the famous bugaboos. The kain route is the easiest and the original ascent route, first climb from the valley bottom in 1916. 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. They spent a whopping 26 hours round trip, spending most of the night rappelling down the route. If you have the elaho guide picheatkinson the descent should be no problem, esp. In spite of this, i was headed off to the bugaboos with jeremy. Joe buszowski and bernhard ehmann made the first winter ascent in 1985. Enjoy a variety of different kinds of climbing from singlepitch crags to multipitch spires. From there 2 3 hrs hike to applebee dome campsite, 12 hour less to the kain hut. Join us to explore one of canadas premier alpine climbing destinations classic routes, aesthetic granite lines, stunning summits, majestic glaciers. Climbing bugaboo spire s ne ridge finally, the weather cleared and we decided that it was time to try for bugaboo spire s north east ridge. Paddle flake was an awesome short climb near just to the left mctech. 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. Finally, we left the cramped quarters of the kia at 7.
Our path angles down from the ridge to the right the kain route, then disappears right behind the black pillar in the foreground. It was a fun 7hour tour around snowpatch spire, although visibility was. Sep 02, 2016 jimmy starting the first pitch of the ne ridge of bugaboos spire with a little alpine glow in the morning. Ridge of bugaboo spire, west ridge of pigeon spire, the beckeychouinard on the south howser tower and the krauss mccarthy on snowpatch spire. Jul 22, 2014 the next morning, we got an early alpine start to beat the crowds on the notoriously popular ne ridge of bugaboo spire. Sustained and aesthetic climbing passing several small.
I was working 70 hour weeks at new york city law firm. Temple over looking moraine lake and the valley of the ten. Perhaps the most impressive peak in the bugaboos, bugaboo spire sits between the vowell and crescent glaciers, just under 2 km west of the accs conrad kain hut. This was to be our second big climbing trip together. Robert kruszyna and william putnams climbers guide to the interior ranges of british columbia south the aac and the acc, 1977 is a. A casual get together of the mountaineers climbing community to socialize and learn about routes in the pnw and beyond. If you see this on the summit ridge traverse, climb up to tag the north summit. Ideasnews bc mountain guides and mountain services.
Rock climbing week in the bugaboos near golden, british. The name stands for many as the grail of alpine rock climbing in north america home of three routes within walking distance from each other that made it into the famous 50 classic climbs of north america book. A traverse of bugaboo spire in bc, and shots of the scenery in bugaboo glacier provincial park. The new guidebook seems to keep inflating grades, giving the ne ridge a 5.
Bugaboos 2day rock climbing trip, british columbia. Bugaboo spire is one of the tallest peaks in this area and offers two classic routes the ne ridge iv, 5. Book a guided ascent with the professionals at cloud nine guides. One of north americas 50 classic climbs, this is one of the most popular routes in the bugs, and with good reason. The final part of the approach is funny in that it shares the same perspective distortions that the west ridge of pigeon spire does, making it appear far more difficult and exposed than it really was. The bugaboos pigeon spire w ridge south howser tower beckeychouinard bugaboo spire ne ridge trip date. Bugaboos 2007 beckeychouinard, nw ridge hounds tooth. For as quality as the climbing was though, it was the extremely exposed summit traverse that will stick out in my mind. Larry is quite an avid outdoorsman and his pet project for many years has been to climb as many as possible of the climbs in the book 50 classic. The area is also home to two of the famous 50 classic climbs of north america. You can easily make out from right to left eastpost spire, crescent towers, crescent spire, brenta spire, and the vowell group. The summit is just a halfway point ed viesturs looking down the kain route on bugaboo spire after we climbed the ne ridge. However, an hour later we discovered that, in our excitement to climb, we had just climbed the bugaboo snowpatch col rather than the bugaboo crescent col that leads to the ne ridge on the other ridge of bugaboo.
A startling spire of granodiorite it has two exceptional routes on it, and a lot of potential for adventure. The spire was first climbed by conrad kain in 1916 routes. Ive only done a handful of 50 crowded routes, but i can without. Blackcomb buttress, pigeon ne ridge, kain face bugaboo spire. The routes there were long, the vertical relief great. Bugaboo spire rock climbing ne ridge, 3 days join a certified mountain guide for a 3 day rock climbing adventure on the northeast ridge of the beautiful bugaboo spire in the purcell mountains of british columbia, canada.
Climbing guides for the bugaboos, canadian rockies and rogers pass. This is a panorama i stitched together from 10 photos taken at the end of pitch 5 on the northeast ridge of bugaboo spire. West ridge of pigeon spire this past weekend the bugaboos. Rock climbing routes in bugaboo spire, the bugaboos. We had been scoping out the route for the past several days, and were itching to give it a shot. In august 2016, my friend martin fuhrer and i decided to climb a.
The ridge was first climbed in 1958 by dave craft, david isles, richard sykes and john turner. Rock climb north east ridge, the bugaboos mountain project. The bugaboos are home to dozens of worldclass alpine granite lines, one of the mostclimbed is the north east ridge of bugaboo spire. Bugaboo spire is one of canadas great peaks and our certified bugaboos rock climbing guide staff this area very well. Best guidebook to the bugaboos supertopo rock climbing. The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire, northeast ridge bugaboo spire, snowpatch and surfs up snowpatch spire attract worldclass climbers. Morning sun on snowpatch spire and the bugaboo snowpatch col. We got on the route just after sunrise, but neednt have worried, as only one other group climbed the route that day, a few hours behind us. 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. 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.
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