The Bugaboos

A series of granite towers reaching above 10,000 ft high in spectacular range in Canada's British Columbia.   Greg Frux with Canadian Mountain Guide David Scott climbed four summits during the second week of July 2004.  Peaks reached were Eastpost Spire (8850 ft.), Bugaboo Spire (10,420 ft.),
Donkey Ears Spire (approx. 9000 ft.) and Pigeon Spire (10,250 ft.)

Expedition card

SPECIAL THANKS TO EXPEDITION SPONSORS
Dr. Joseph Dallessandro
Dina Friedman
Alan Good
Matthew O'Keefe
Elaine Ragland
Mark and Dustie Robeson

Bugaboo Spire card                                                Snowpatch Spire card

Bugaboos Alpine Rock Week

July 8:  Fly New York to Calgary, Alberta, stay at Lake Louise, Alpine Club of Canada club house  
July 9:  Hike to Plain of Six glaciers  
July 10: Met my guide Dave Scott in Golden, British Columbia at the Husky Gas Station on the Trans Canada Highway.   Our basecamp was the Conrad Kain Hut, at elevation 7200 feet.  To reach it required a 40 mile drive on dirt roads, then a 2200 foot climb up a forested valley.  The trail was spectacular, looking down on a glacier filled valley.  The higher parts of the route had cables and a ladder.  The hut is in an alpine meadow, with large picture windows looking out at a 2000 vertical foot ice fall.  The building itself was three stories high, with a fully equipped kitchen, electricity and foam mattresses.  Plush for climbers.  
July 11: Rained, waited a while, then decided to climb a small peak anyway.  Summited East Post Spire (8850 ft) in rain and snow.  Route was an exposed scramble, we used ropes and running belays.   Trip took about five hours.

July 12: Woke at 4 am and climbed Bugaboo Spire (10,420 ft).  Route involved snow, glacier travel, then snow slopes up to 50 degrees.  Reached rock at 7:30 am, in perfect sunny and cool conditions.   Rock scramble at first, turning steeper and route narrowing to a ridge.  Running belays, then two pitches of 5.5 rock.  Crossed a spectacular knife edge.  The two more moderate rock pitches going at 5.7.  The second of these is the famous Bugaboos Gendarme, where you turn a corner and carefully cross about ten feet of steep featureless granite on friction above a 2000 foot drop-- wow!  Did really well and were on the summit at 11 am.  Descent involved 4 rappels, lowering and down climbing.   Back at the hut at 3 pm.  

Eastpost Spire in the rain

Bugaboo Spire Gendarme

  July 13: We got up at 7 AM and had pancakes.  Head off to climb a pure rock route on the Donkey Ears Spire (approx. 9000 ft).  Our route was called Ears Between (5.7+).  Approached over meadows and snow fields, then along a narrow ledge (2 feet to 6 inches) with running belays.  The granite was  moderately steep, with a bit of gravel and some flower filled ledges for the first three pitches, running a consistent 5.6 - 5.7.  One hard move (5.8+) on P4 around a boulder in a chimney.  The highest pitch (P5) was up a steep fluted chimney-- some places so narrow I had to jamb my thigh in, in others needed to be spanned with a three foot stance.  A final scramble took us to the summit, which capped the 800 foot rise with a platform the size of a car.  Descended via a free hanging rappel, and lots and lots of down climbing along different ridge.  Back at the hut at 4 pm.
 
July 14: Last day, so we go for it.  Up at 4 am, head up to climb Pigeon Spire (10,250 ft).  Same snow and glacier climb at the start as Bugaboo Spire, then off to climb another glacier.  Reach base of rock at 8:30 am.   Route is easy rock climbing (class 4), but with lots of exposure and more narrow ridges.  Totally trust myself, the rope and Dave-- we move very quickly.  Summit at 10:30 am, despite a toothache and stomach cramps.  Safely back at the hut at 2:30.  Pack up and head out at 4 pm, reaching the car at 6:15.   By 8 pm I am at a hotel in town of Radium Hot Springs.  

Donkey Ears

Pigeon Spire

July 15: Visit Radium Hot Springs, then drive over mountains to Lake Louise.  
July 16: Hike at Moraine Lake to Consolation Lake , drive to Calgary.  
July 17: Return to New York.