Day1-Kain Hut (2230m/7315ft): The group met up at the Yamnuska office in Canmore and drove over to the town of Radium, BC. From here you take a 45km dirt logging road of varying condition to the Bugaboos trailhead parking lot. Local legend has it that wild porcupines have chewed through brake lines here in the past so we had to wrap up our rental car in chicken wire. The hike up to the Conrad Kain hut begins with a easy trail and then abrupty turns a corner and heads straight up 2300ft or 700m ascent to the hut in 4.5km. This hike can be gruelling with heavy loads and should be the first warning of the steep terrain in the area. The Conrad Kain hut is a large 3-storey barn-like building that is a hub of climbing activity and full of mountaineering history. The Kain hut sits at 2230m or 7315ft elevation.
From July 26th-31st 2014 I signed up along with my husband Glenn and friends Deb and Rich with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures to take a guided Alpine Climbing trip to Bugaboo Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada. The terrain in the Bugs is very technical and steep and shouldn't be attempted by beginner mountaineers or climbers. Even with climbing and mountaineering experience, I felt hiring a guide was the best option. And we had 3 great guides: Nick Sharpe, Eric Osteopkevich, and Richard Howes with 6 clients. Here is an account of our 6 days in the Bugs: Day1-Kain Hut (2230m/7315ft): The group met up at the Yamnuska office in Canmore and drove over to the town of Radium, BC. From here you take a 45km dirt logging road of varying condition to the Bugaboos trailhead parking lot. Local legend has it that wild porcupines have chewed through brake lines here in the past so we had to wrap up our rental car in chicken wire. The hike up to the Conrad Kain hut begins with a easy trail and then abrupty turns a corner and heads straight up 2300ft or 700m ascent to the hut in 4.5km. This hike can be gruelling with heavy loads and should be the first warning of the steep terrain in the area. The Conrad Kain hut is a large 3-storey barn-like building that is a hub of climbing activity and full of mountaineering history. The Kain hut sits at 2230m or 7315ft elevation. Day 2- Pidgeon Spire (3156m/10354ft): We woke before dawn and slogged up the rocky trail to the glacier feeling the altitude hit our lungs with every step. After a quick glacier skills refresher, we ascended the steep snow slope of the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col. Snowsteps were up to our knees as we needed to move as quickly as possible to avoid rockfall. Once at the col, we could see our objective for the day: The West Ridge of Pidgeon Spire (photo above). We moved fairly quickly across the glacier approach to the ridge and switched from glacier mode to climbing mode on a rock outcropping at the base of the ridge. Climbing Pidgeon was fairly easy as it's rated a 5.4 PD-. We wore our mountaineering boots, helmets, and packs. The guidebook boasts this climb as one of the best in North America and I can honestly say it doesn't disappoint. The views are outstanding on the entire route. Two rappels and some downclimbing, we re-traced our steps back to the col where we rapped some more. The day took 12 hours. My good friend Deb (in red) and myself (in blue) were dubbed the "A" team as we were quick going up and down. My husband Glenn in the photo below rapping off Pidgeon. Day 3: Lion's Way (2830m/9285ft) Today day we attempted an easy multi-pitch rock route in the Bugs called Lion's Way to lead us to the summit of the Central Tower of Crescent Spire. The grade of the route was 5.6 PD+ an was approximately 8 pitches in length. For me, it was a fabulous opportunity to expand my trad climbing skillset as I'd been primarily a sport climber until this point. The climbing was not difficult, but I had never climbed with a pack or trad equipment before so that made the climbing different for me. I loved this route as it wasn't overly consequential but had some great views. Bugaboo climbing is on extra-gritty granite meaning you don't really need chalk but you will probably need tape. Day 4: Marmalota (3019m/9905ft) Day 3 started early at 3 AM to attempt another summit of Marmalota. We ascended a different dirt trail up to a different glacier by headlamp, donned our glacier gear and started the slog up. Acclimatization had progressed and at this point and the heavy breaths have now gone and we were moving quickly. Hopping over crevasses on the way up we reached the rock when the sun was rising. The route we were to take was rated a 5.6 again, and we did this one in our mountaineering boots. In hindsight, I think I would have preferred rock shoes. The 'feel' of Marmalota is a bit sketchy, as loose rock fell off the slope with our movements and hand holds broke off into crumbly bits. The peak felt like it was eroding compared to the solid feel of Pidgeon days before. Ascending Marmalota takes time and there is some technical and very exposed moves. Maybe because of the flaky nature of the peak, I didn't feel as comfortable. Our guides were fantastic, keeping the energy positive and the mood 'light'. For me, the guides earned their money that day, especially on the descent. After 3 rappels, we faced a dilemma with how to get over the bergshrund and onto the glacier. Our guides had us do a 50m rap down to a rap station on the only rock around that we could sling some cordelette around. The 6 of us crammed in on top of one another, attached to this one outcropping. The next rappel onto the glacier was super fun as we had to "Mission Impossible" style rap over the 3m gap created by the bergschrund onto the glacier. We quickly retreated on the sunny glacier back to the hut, a total of 13 hours for the day. Day 5-East Post Spire (2728m/8950ft) Today we opted for a an easier option. After a late start and a big breakfast-did I mention the food was fantastic? We hiked up to the Appleby Campground site and continued on through the trail to the summit of East Post Spire. This summit is short, and more a simple scramble. We ate lunch on the summit- our fourth summit in 4 days! We descended to a top roping area so that I could play with trad gear on top rope. After a couple hours, storm clouds rolled in and we descended back to the hut. Day 6-Heading Out Our group decided our bodies had been pounded enough and it was time to head out. We descended the steep, gruelling trail on the way down with heavy packs and returned to find our car in the parking lot hadn't been eaten. We headed to Radium for some ice cream and headed back to the Yam office in Canmore for some debriefing and trip wrap-up. This trip will be one to remember for sure. The steep technical terrain is challenging. I am already thinking of my return trip to check off the famous classic Kain route! I would highly recommend Yamnuska Mountain Adventures for their guiding in the Bugaboos as I never once questioned my safety and felt that their professionalism was second to none. Another great week in the mountains..... :)
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