The crack was striking, if incipient, and not even wide enough to accept a full fingertip. It is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, across the crescent glacier. In 1972, the alpine club of canada erected the conrad kain hut named after the renowned guide who first visited the area in 1910. East face, snowpatch spire, west face snowpatch spire, with the vowell glacier. Snowpatch spire, bugaboos, british columbia, canada windows. 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. Head north to bugaboo provincial park, a fortress of worldclass granite in a quiet corner of british columbia. The bugaboos are, for many, the holy grail of alpine rock climbing in north america. Passing the schrund is dicey in late summer a climber was swept into it and killed in aug. Alpine rock acmg certified mountain guide in canada and.
Since his visit in 1910, the bugaboo glacier, which flows around both sides of snowpatch spire, has retreated more than a mile. Nov 01, 2010 east face, snowpatch spire, west face snowpatch spire, with the vowell glacier. Snowpatch spire, bugaboos, british columbia, canada. Some of the popular peaks and classic routes we recommend in the bugaboos include. All bugaboo spire canvas prints ship within 48 hours, include a 30day moneyback guarantee, and arrive readytohang with preattached hanging. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent canada, british columbia, purcell mountains, bugaboos. Stub icon, this article about a location in the interior of british columbia, canada is a stub. Climb bugaboo spire, ne ridge, bugaboo spire trailhead. Five things to know about the bugaboos gripped magazine. The conrad kain hut is maintained by bc parks and the alpine club of canada. Bugaboo spire trailhead search nearby added by erik turner. Starting off at the abbot hut with a summit of mount victoria and finishing in 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.
It runs up the left side of the eastern face of snowpatch spire and descends the western face. British columbia, canada filename bugaboos snowpatch sunrise. Bugaboo snowpatch col 2014 summit of pidgin spire 2014 bugaboos lake louise rock climbing mt victoria altus mountain guides pidgin spine bugaboos pidgin spire bugaboos bugaboos east face of snowpatch spire lake ohara bc canada summit of hounds tooth bugaboos altus mountain. On my first trip to the bugaboos, i was 21 and working as a guide. The options are limitless in the bugaboos with countless routes from high alpine snow and ice to moderate multipitch rock routes and for the more adventurous the big walls which host some of the best climbing in the world. From the summit of snowpatch spire, the bugaboos, british columbia, canada.
Its right in front of you when you reach the hut, the distinctive snowfield that gives the mountain its name front and center. Brandon prince descends a route called surfs up rated 5. 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. Located near snowpatch spire, the hut replaced the original fibreglass igloos placed by bc parks. Bugaboo spire is surrounded by other spectacular spires, vertiginous snowpatch spire is a little lower but has fantastic technical routes for rock climbers. David pickford photo will stanhope is an professional climber and acmg rock guide based out of squamish bc, canada. First climbed in 1916 by conrad kain, it has been a treasured objective ever since. The bugaboos are a british columbia provincial park in canadas purcell mountains. There are both bolted and free routes throughout the group. 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.
This trad climb has 6 sends and was recently flashed by ian reston. Snowpatch spire, bugaboos, canada largest countries countries of the world beauty around the world around the worlds beautiful sites beautiful places bugaboo amazing places on earth british columbia more information. Snowpatch spire bugaboo provincial park, british columbia, canada. Conrad kain once described this spire as being unclimbable. 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. The route is a significantly easier free climb than anything else on the east face of snowpatch. The bugaboo lodge, constructed in 1967, is near the eastern boundary of the park. In the late 1930s, snowpatch spire was talked of as the continents number one climbing problem.
Canada man at scenic campsite, bugaboos provincial park, british columbia, canada. Heliskiing and helihiking are conducted from the lodge into the park. What a wonderful week of guiding with perfect weather. On the east face of snowpatch spire, stanhope noticed a 300foot crack bisecting the gray granite rock face. Rock climbing routes in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos. The snowpatch route on spowpatch spire in the bugaboos is a classic if for no other reason in that it is one of the. Snowpatch spire and eastpost rest day snowpatch route 5. Snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. Fritz wiessner, 1938, made the best attempt before bedayn and arnolds success. A pair of rock climbers ascend surfs up, a route on snowpatch spire in the bugaboos, british columbia stormy sunset on the peaks of bugaboo provincial park, b.
Rapping off the tower at dusk, he was back at the campground by 8 p. A pair of rock climbers ascend surfs up, a route on snowpatch spire in the bugaboos, british columbia. It stands just to the west of applebee campground and is host to over 50 routes from 5. Most of snowpatchs viable free routes are on its western face. 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. Buy bugaboo spire canvas prints designed by millions of independent artists from all over the world. What more could one ask for in a week of mountaineering. During my many trips across the bugaboosnowpatch 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. This base camp for climbers operates to reduce visitor impacts on the fragile timberline area below snowpatch spire. See more ideas about bugaboo, canadian rockies and travel. 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. 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 every level.
The bugaboosnowpatch col, a major avenue of approach or descent for many climbs is guarded by a bergschrund on the east crescent glacier side. We climbed the bugaboo spire, pigeon spire, snowpatch spire, eastpost spire, and crescent spire in bugaboo provincial park. 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. There are two classic british columbia climbing routes. Bugaboos guided alpine rock climbing in the bugaboos. With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo. 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. We climbed over 12000 feet in 5 days and enjoyed 4 beautiful summits. Labeled peaks include all major peaks in the bugaboos. A climber watches sunrise on the massive snowpatch spire in bugaboo provincial park.
Bugaboo spire pigeon spire snowpatch spire eastpost spire. Snowpatch spire, beckeymather route, first free ascent. Sunrise over snow patch spire from eastpost spire, bugaboo. After snowpatch spire was ticked, only one major peak remained unclimbed, south howser tower. From 1972 until 2000 the hut was maintained by bc parks as a base for climbers and to reduce visitor impact on the fragile timberline area below snowpatch spire. Asgards, south tower, baffin island, canada first ascent of the canadian route, cerro fitzroy, patagonia. Climb in one of the worlds great alpine rock climbing areas. 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. Major peaks outside the bugs are labeled too including jumbo mountain, mount sir donald, mt. Fiftyone hours later we returned, having completed two new multipitch routes. Rock climbing in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos mountain project. A familiar trip up the bugaboosnowpatch col and a casual stroll across the upper vowell glacier took us to the base of the west ridge. The bugaboos are a british columbia provincial park in canada s purcell mountains. Sunrise over snow patch spire from eastpost spire, bugaboo provincial park, british columbia, canada.
With many peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation, the bugaboos offer awe inspiring mountain and glacier terrain. You will eventually reach conrad kain hut and along the way have amazing scenery and views of glaciers. On august 19, colin moorhead and i rolled out of golden at 6 p. The largest wall on snowpatch is the east face with routes ranging from 12 to 15. Contact me for other sizes and printingframing options. With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. Sep 23, 2019 with many peaks over 3,000 metres in elevation, the bugaboos offer awe inspiring mountain and glacier terrain. First ascent of sendero norte, on snowpatch spire, bugaboos, canada.
Snowpatch spire, bugaboos, canada amazing places on. Man at scenic campsite, bugaboos provincial park, british columbia, canada. Bugaboo spire weather forecast, canada mountain forecast. Abbot pass and bugaboos trip altus mountain guides. Bugaboo spire climbing guide british columbia climbing. The bugaboos have several internationally known rock climbing routes. Pigeon spire, south howser tower, bugaboo spire, and snowpatch spire all. A light covering of new snow mostly falling on tue nighttemperatures will be below freezing max 4c on thu afternoon, min 9c on tue nightwind will be generally light. The adventure of the bugaboos starts almost at the. Originally from buenos aires, celeste moure has called vancouver.
The beckeychouinard south howser spire, west ridge pigeon spire, northeast ridge bugaboo spire, snowpatch and surfs up snowpatch spire attract worldclass climbers. Im breaking it up into a few reports for the individual climbs. The impressive snowpatch spire is the most obvious spire when entering the bugaboos. This is also a great area for a backpacking trip if you looking for a challenging trip with spectacular alpine scenery. 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. Aug 01, 2001 spires of the bugaboos forget the yosemite circus. Nov 01, 2012 from the summit of snowpatch spire, the bugaboos, british columbia, canada. Bugaboo alpine rock mountaineering alpine rock in nelson. Matt maddaloni freesoloing in the bugaboos tom egan memorial route. Snowpatch spire bugaboo provincial park, british columbia. Snowpatch spire 10,050 feet this dominant buttress holds over 50 routes from 5.
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