Bugaboos - Easy Clasics

July 17-22 2022:

After many, many years talking about it we finally made it to the Buggs last summer! It always seemed like a near mythical destination, but now we've been it seems absurd we didn't go years ago. Yes it's a lot of driving from WA, but the approach is so short it makes up for it. just a few hours on good trail gets you up to Applebee Dome, rather than the 12+ hour 'schwack into the Pickets. In terms of total time to high camp, it's the same as getting into Terror Basin. But Pickets, it isn't. This is type-1 mountaineering, complete with toilet paper provided in the privy, and a hut warden that comes up and posts weather reports on the bulletin board fixed into the rock at Applebee Dome. Camp has something of a party atmosphere rather than the total solitude one can expect in Terror Basin. We had some slightly tougher things on our to do list: McTech, the NE Ridge of the Bugaboo, but ultimately stuck with the easy classics, and it was awesome. 

Day 0: Grace and I made the drive and approach to Applebee Dome all in a day from Grandivew. We picked up chickenwire in Spokane, anticipating the need to fortify our vehicle against the porcupines, but the trailhead is well equipped. Wooden corrals hold old chickenwire, and sticks and rocks abound to construct the fence. Numerous mosquitos chased us up the trail, and we found Jim and Uncle Rod waiting with hugs and smiles at Applebee.

Bugaboo parking lot, with Porcupine fortifications! 

Day 1: 

Iffy weather dictated small objectives, so while Grace, Chris, and Jim headed up to scramble Eastpost Spire, I set out to run down to the car for my forgotten sunglasses. This was a lesson in how devastating dehydration can be. The beans 'n rice (or something) caught up with me half way down the trail, and after two bouts of explosive diarrhea I went from feeling like superman to drizzly hobbling along. Still, I made it back up to camp ahead of the rain, sunglasses in hand. 

Day 2: 

We awoke to wind and tearing cloud, and so headed for another easy (but awesome) objective: the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire. Bugaboo-Snowpatch col was in great shape, with continuous snow all the way to the top. The Vowell Glacier was similarly filled in, and soon we were gearing up in the fog at the base of the ridge. A few quick sun-breaks on the way up the glacier gave us hope that things would improve. Ultimately they did! The first 5th class step along the ridge gave me some pause in gloves and boots, with fog swirling around on frigid wind. I was glad I pushed through, as the rest was amazing. Wonderful clean rock, and an easy route to follow, even with 10 m visibility. It felt like the west ridge of Prussik or the easy parts of the upper North Ridge of Stuart. Super fun! The clouds broke while we were on the summit, revealing glorious views to Bugaboo and Snowpatch Spires, as well as the Howser Towers and beyond.

High on the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire, looking toward the summit with Bugaboo Spire in the distance.

Day 3: 

With better weather and a feel for the area, we embarked up the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire. At 5.6, this is not a technically challenging route in reality or on paper, but it remains some of the hardest "5.6" climbing I've ever done! It's also wonderful. Even the low part of the route is fun: 3rd and 4th class scrambling up the solid boulder strewn lower ridge, steepening with the first 5th class "chimney pitch". This turned out to be an awesome low 5th hand crack, that takes you right to the ridge crest. A classic 4th class traverse leads from there to the gendarme pitches. The latter begins with an awkward wide (5-6") crack, which is easy but intimidatingly run out. I protected it with a couple well chosen chockstones, which aren't necessary but made me feel better. Then it's straight up the gendarme, which feels great until you reach the "top" of the clean face and go over the crest to the left. Already 10' above your last piece, you're confronted with the true crux: a friction traverse left into a corner. This feels a lot like the traverse pitch on Yellow Spur in Eldo, but without the friendly bolt! You can commit to the unprotected friction traverse, or climb high to a thin horizontal hand crack under a roof that looked like it would yield protection, but much harder climbing. I committed to the friction traverse, stuck the moves, and was very happy to get a small cam into the corner. A fall here would be ugly. Then it's up and left again via thin cracks to a big ledge. One more easy pitch to the summit.

High on the Kain Route, Bugaboo Spire. Looking south along the 4th class section of the ridge below the gendarme.

The summit was awesome, with great views in all directions, but especially to the Howser Towers, which still had a lot of winter left clinging to their north faces. Even the descent was reasonably straightforward. Rap 1 leaves from the south edge of the summit area via a lovely 2-bolt anchor, and deposits you back on the big ledge above the gendarme. Then one rappel to skiers left of the gendarme lands you on a ledge, from which you scramble up and skiers right to another bolted anchor in an alcove behind a huge flake. A two more raps from here puts you near the base of the gendarme, where you can climb back up and right and begin traversing back along the ridge to the top of the chimney pitch. Another two bolted raps down the chimney pitch puts you in scrambling terrain, and 1 more optional bolted rappel through a bouldery chimney a few hundred feet lower ends the technical portion of the ridge descent.

Howser Towers viewed from the top of Bugaboo Spire. 

Staying to skiers right and down climbing the lower 3rd class ridge puts you back at the col, and the far side (south) rappel anchors form a wonderfully safe and easy way down the steepest part of the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col. These anchors are equipped with long chains making them easy to access even as the snow level varies throughout the year. 

Day 4: 

If the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire is the hardest "5.6" I've ever climbed, then the "Ears Between" on the Donky's Ears tower (part of Crescent Spire) is the hardest 5.7. In uncle Rod's words: "that route has a lot of thuggish 5.8 climbing for a 5.7!". Local standards matter! I'm not sure we started in quite the right place. In any case the first pitch off the approach ramp was slabby and vegetated, but protected reasonably well with some gardening to excavate the cracks. After that things improved. However, getting over the chockstone on the alcove pitch just below the chimney system has got to be a 5.10 move! Already tired from the previous days ascent of Bugaboo, I struggled to pull over it. But the chimney pitches above are super fun, and the views from the top amazing! The descent should not be underestimated! Many rappels and much scrambling down the north side of the SE ridge got us down to the Crescent-Eastpost col in time, but I'm not sure It was any shorter than our descent of the Kain route.

Bugaboo Spire from the top of the Donkey's Ears

 Day 5:
Tired from our three days of awesome climbing, we decided not to try and push for another route. Instead, we all packed up, and Grace and I headed to Banff for one final night. All in all, I found the town a little disappointing. We wandered around, ate lots of Pho to help with exercise recovery. The Buggs are hard to beat for views! 

Photos!