[TR] Bugaboos - Various 7/18/2010

[eldiente]

Trip: Bugaboos - Various

 

Date: 7/18/2010

 

Trip Report:

[img:center]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/TGQnRumBGhI/AAAAAAAALF8/dK5dfqPH1nQ/s720/Snbowpatch%20in%20morning%20light.jpg[/img]

 

I took two weeks off from work at the end of July and set-up shop in the Bugs. I haven't had time to write-up proper beta for all the routes we did, hopefully I can get that up soon.

 

(Note. I love TRs that give good beta, how long the hike took, how hard the climbing was, what type of gear etc. It would be nice if we could make the TRs section of CC.com a real resource for beta on climbs. I'll try to do my part, I have all the info on the climbs we did hand-written, I will try to get the info up as soon as possible. In the interim contact me for info on any of the routes listed below)

 

Over the course of 12 days we dealt with the usual Bugs weather and logistical hurdles. Managed to climb seven routes, bailed off a few things, took two day rest in the Banff area in the middle of the trip. Mostly climbed easy moderates, very much a recreational trip aside from all the hiking which was not at all recreational. Getting to spend time with my friends in the mountains is a real joy and the highlight of the trip.

 

Routes.

 

NE Ridge Bugaboo Spire 5.8: Group Solo with James, 1.5 hours up, 5 down.

Paddle Flake 5.10: Swing leads with James.

South Howser Tower Beckey Chouinard 5.10. With James round trip in a day.

Furry Pink arete 5.10Cish. Swing leads with Winter.

Paddle Flake 5.10: Swing leads with Winter, lead pitches that I missed last time.

Snow Patch Route 5.8. Solo* 7 or 8 hours round trip.

NE Ridge Bugaboo Spire 5.8: With Stephanie, 16 hours, mostly on descent.

 

*French Free a few moves off fixed junk, climbed through pitch 16 before bailing and down-climbing

 

Media

Video here.

Blog here.

Winter's blog here.

 

[img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/TFia4yjOUwI/AAAAAAAAKvY/gWKd71mS1k0/s640/P1010603.JPG[/img]

 

Last rap coming off South Howser tower.

 

Notes

 

*Snow conditions. The Bugs had a lot of late season snow and the whole season has been pushed back a few weeks from normal. Our first week up there (16th of July) there was only a few dry spots at the campground, people were digging spots in the snow for the tent. The glaciers were covered with winter snow, no ice. Traveling around during the day was easy, ankle deep slush. We didn't get much use from the pons or axe the first week as the snow was soft. Most of the routes were dry, although the BC route had some icy cracks and a lot of snow cover on the upper ridge, getting to the summit meant wadding through a cornice.

 

*Camping. Rates have gone up. It is $10 per night and a 7 day limit (new this year) There is now bear boxes at the campground. The hut was full the entire time I was there, many nights there was families with kids there. Sort of a strange scene.

 

*Water. We drank out of the stream behind camp or the lake without a water filter. Nobody got sick. Water filter could probably be left at home.

 

 

*I used the fixed raps in the Bugaboo Col once while up there. They are actually a real time saver and if the Col was icy, this would be the way to do it without having to put pons on. The raps are skiers right on the Col just a few feet above the snow. The raps are set for single rope raps, four of them total. The last rap will take you over the the Bergschrund. If you have a novice partner with you, the trick beta is to set a 60M single rope rap off the last rap and send them down on that eliminating most of the steep snow travel. After they are down, unfix the rope and rap 30M and down climb to your partner.

 

 

*East Creek. There was good clean water running near the bivy sites, no need to melt water with the stove. The hike into East Creek was doable without pons, but later in the year it might be icy. Some Polish guys tipped us off to a great idea. On the hike from the car grab a walking stick and take it with you. Sharpen this stick and use it as an axe as you descend into East Creek. Leave the stick at the base of the whatever route your climbing so you don't have to take it up and over with you.

 

 

*Descending Bugaboo Spire. The normal way is to rap and down-climb the Kain route. I botched up the descent and took us straight down the East Face via steep raps on blank rock (1,500, 2,000 feet?) At first this seemed like a epic as we had to leave kit behind and had no idea where we were going. In retrospect this is actually faster than going down the Kain route and you don't have to go down the Col at the end of the day. There is a lot of junk left from our descent, (and we found other fixed kit from people that made the same mistake.) If you are feeling brave and/or are in a hurry, go down this way.

 

 

*Must have gear. A sun hat. The skin takes a beating sitting around camp in the sun, everyone kept trying to steal my hat. Waterproof approach shoes, put pons on the shoes and you're set. No need for heavy boots to get around the glaciers. Flip-flops for camp, a bit cold on the feet when running through the snow to take a pee, but better than putting back on your soaked shoes. Bug dope for the hike in, awful mosquitoes at parking lot. Lots of cord for tying down the tent, stakes will be of no use.

 

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

With heavy pack 4 hours from car to camp.

Edited August 12, 2010 by eldiente

[fern]

Thanks for the TR.

 

The camping limit is actually 14 days total but 7 days consecutive, so if you pop over to East Creek for 1 night after 7 days then you can come back into the park for another 7 days.

 

Also WRT rappelling the East Face of Bugaboo. This would be a bad choice if anyone is above you making the N-S summit traverse. Fellows behind us managed to knock some very large blocks off and chopped their own ropes on one of the short rappels. Don't underestimate people's ability to find and dislodge loose rocks, and then send them directly towards you. The Bugaboos are busy enough that this happens in the craziest and most unexpected locations, I am guilty of strafing parties below myself.

My personal choice would be to rap the NE Ridge itself if I went up again, even at the expense of sacrificing a dozen nuts and tat. The Kain Route is a shitpile that I have no desire to ever set foot on again.

[eldiente]

Thanks for the TR.

 

 

Also WRT rappelling the East Face of Bugaboo. This would be a bad choice if anyone is above you making the N-S summit traverse.

 

I would agree with that. Although having gone down the Kain route twice, I'm thinking I'd rather get hit in the head, have my rope chopped and be punched in the balls all at the same time than do that again. It was dumb luck, we topped out in a lighting storm and our screw-up of going down the East face may have saved us from being struck. You lose elevation very quickly with the raps we did whereas the descent via the Kain route is more exposed to the weather. Neither of these descents are fun, the Kain route is at least well traveled and has bolted raps.

 

-Nate

Edited August 13, 2010 by eldiente

[Winter]

Man I love that place.

 

 

[mountainmatt]

Looks like a great trip!

 

As I haven't made it up there before, I appreciate the informative TR!

 

 

.

[wayne]

Gosh, Thanks so much for the beta, We are headed there tomorrow!

And bully for you Fern, I love your insight.

[fern]

We were there the week after this TR and also did the Beckey-Chouinard. We had 1 or 2 false starts so had some time to strategerize and ultimately decided based on the conditions to go with real boots (eg. trango style) but no crampons or ice axe (left axes at Bboo-SP Col) which I think was lighter overall. There was snow right to the bivy boulder. We also got beta that there was water right at the base of the route so only carried about 1/2 liter - turned out that there wasn't any running water, but we smashed some icechunks into the dromedary and they melted through the day. Something to consider for future season where the conditions may be similar.

[bstach]

The reports here of the Kain Route descent are not congruent with my experience. Perhaps you were off route? The Kain descent is a few easy to find raps followed by easy hiking and scrambling.

[eldiente]

Perhaps were being a little tough on the Kain route descent, compared with the typical NW bushwhack it ins't too bad. However, after an easy romp up the NE ridge, I bet many folks are surprised (I was) by the length and time it takes to go down the the Kain route. The raps are easy, the down-climbing and scrambling is also easy, but time consuming and tedious. (The first time I did it, I was on-route and it took me 3x longer to go down the Kain than it did to go up the NE Ridge)

[counterfeitfake]

When I climbed the NE Ridge, I was a little surprised by the Kain Route descent, but found it to not be that bad. It took a long time but was easy.

 

I was more surprised by how difficult and inobvious the summit traverse was (maybe noobish of me). The info I'd read made a huge deal out of the Kain descent, even suggesting climbing UP it first- and NO WAY do I think that is necessary or worth it. But everything had glossed over how to get from the N summit to the S. It probably shouldn't really be that hard but I think we just didn't know what to do.

 

Rapping the east face seems way gnarly.

[Lisa_D]

Thanks for this informative thread! While we're on the topic, has anyone been in mid-September? It seems like the weather would be deteriorating a bit at this point, but could you also get lucky with some high pressure?

[AlpineK]

Nice Trip

 

Your shot of the final rap off South Howser brings back some good memories.

[img:center]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_XNueStDVX8c/TFia4yjOUwI/AAAAAAAAKvY/gWKd71mS1k0/s640/P1010603.JPG[/img]

 

[Winter]

Lisa, I climbed there the first week of September in 2006. We had good weather, but by the end of the week the crevasses below the B-S col were almost unpassable. More snow this year, so you may be fine.

[G-spotter]

It almost always drops fresh snow on the higher summits by mid-September.

[wayne]

Great beta Eldy, thanks. I did a report on my site below.