sgreg Posted October 1, 2013 Posted October 1, 2013 Trip: Bugaboos,BC - All Along The Watchtower Date: 8/20/2013 Trip Report: Last month we got to climb an amazing route with amazing people, start to finish. Here's what we found: The route is a serious climb in some real big mountains. Serious fun to be had if there is some seriously killer weather! The topo that's I posted isn't the end all be all. Its best when used in conjunction with other sources. Chris and Marc's guidebook is the defiantly the best for the area. We found the ariel photos to be super helpful.Take(our topo)with a grain of salt because surly there are parts that are incorrect or missing, but, hopefully it gives you a general sense of the route. Nothing substitutes experience route finding or route not-finding for that matter. I only numbered pitches that I thought were (roughly) accurate if a belay doesn't have a number that is why. P1 (30m) Lowish angle right facing corner cut left at the top to a mini roof with fixed nuts in it P2(30m) follow the mini roof up and left to a grassy crack to a stance with a loose pin P3 (60m)(This pitch seems to be where we got off route?) follow moss filled cracks to a pin/nut anchor and cut hard right. Loose rock abounds. We took a shallow chimney feature in a left facing corner. This was not the way. The crack system above it seemed more promising and ended in the same place. cut right near the end of this pitch toward what we called "the black tower". - somewhere in this section there is an option to take beautiful splitters, these are off route- P4/5? (60m)this is the pitch 3 ledge in the book, at the far right side of the ledge is a long left facing corner #3/#4 camalot.Take this L facing corner to a point where you can cut right on lower angle ground to the start of another long left facing corner. We did this in two pitches. P5/6? a long AWESOME hand crack takes you along the left side of the black tower. P6/7 (60m)continue up this feature until you can break left onto a low angle section in the center of the wall. This is well before reaching the top of the black tower. P8/9/10?(70m) Climb through the low angle terrain to a short open book,traversing slightly up and left. We were generally aiming for a white streak (quartz dike?) that cuts through the middle of pitch 11/12. P11/12(70m)Climb a CLASSIC! L Facing corner to the pitch 13 bivy ledge, lots of loose rock at the bivy ledge. P13 climb a left facing chimney corner to the base of THE CORNER! Chossy! P14-22ish Climb a CLASSIC CORNER! P23-36ish Climb a few pitches of 5.8 to some 4th/5th then more 5.8 on and off to the summit. We climbed the route in two and a quarter days. We planned 1 night at 13 and took a short nap at 23/24ish. Descent: seems to depend highly on the amount of snow. The guidebook beta seemed to be accurate. Climb down the East ridge toward the notch, look for tat and bring some of your own in case anchors are buried. We cleared the schrund with one double 60m rapp from a slung horn. Pitch 4 Pitch5 Looking down Pitch5ish Looking dow Pitch15ish Gear Notes: double to #4 camalot Single set of metolius offsets grey/purple to orange red 1x70 lead line 1x70 tag (60's would be fine, twins are on the list for next time) Bivy gear/1 30 degree sleeping bag/1 MSR e-wing targ/Food/Water/etc. Approach Notes: Standard Bugaboo trailhead to Bugaboo Snowpatch col. Then to pigeon howser col. Down to east creek basin Quote
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