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Recent Bugaboos conditions

Original Post
mjourney · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 0

Anyone have recent snow and glacier conditions for the Bugaboos?

The last update I have is from July 21, anyone been back there getting it since then (or around then) care to share some conditions?

Thanks!

Martin le Roux · · Superior, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 401

Have you looked at acmg.ca/mcr/archives.asp? Here's the most recent report.

Subject: [MCR] Bugaboos
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2015 21:31:25 -0600
Just back from a weekend of stormy wet weather in the Bugaboos. As of 9am this
morning there was up to 20cm of new snow above 2600m and forecast was for
another 10cm today above 2800m.
Sun on the way but cool temperatures will keep the higher routes snowy for some time.

Lilla Molnar
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

David Carey · · Morrison, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 120

I am also interested. In particular, I saw from Friends of Bugaboos that the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col is looking pretty bad. Does anyone have any experience with the Pigeon-Snowpatch col as an ascent route? How steep is it? I want to say that the col can be reached by the Snowpatch route via class 4 to easy class 5 according to that routes information. Any further info would be huge for my planning!

Cheers,
Dave

mjourney · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2015 · Points: 0

Thanks! I had not seen the new MCR report.

Still looking for a little more on the status of some of the sketchier cols and glaciers? From what I've heard it is more like September conditions. Are most people accessing rock via the alternative access routes?

Jake wander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 195
mountainproject.com/v/condi…

link to a similar thread. doesnt have more current condition reports but answers some of the route finding questions people have. let me know if you need any further detail.
David Carey · · Morrison, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 120

Thanks for that other link.

The poster at the end of the forum was one I saw from those guys (Bugaboo friends). They list the pigeon snowpatch col as a rappel, but do you know if the first few pitches of easy rock on this climb would enable ascent to access some of the other routes (e.g. Surf's Up)

mountainproject.com/v/-wies…

It seems to me that this routes first pitches would allow ascent onto the Snotpatch-Pigeon col and could be an easier approach than using the Bugaboo glacier, then walking around.

Any insight is hugely helpful.

Cheers,
Dave

Jake wander · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 195

we walked under the pigeon snowpatch raps from a distance. its just a huge ice fall. Im not sure if the raps can be climbed, sorry. i didnt see a good way of getting up that. but we were headed to climb pigeon so i wasnt looking for one specifically.

Martin le Roux · · Superior, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 401
Dave Carey wrote:do you know if the first few pitches of easy rock on this climb would enable ascent to access some of the other routes (e.g. Surf's Up) mountainproject.com/v/-wies… It seems to me that this routes first pitches would allow ascent onto the Snotpatch-Pigeon col
Short answer: No. Have a look at this photo: mountainproject.com/v/10697…. The Wiessner Route (SE Corner) goes up the far side of the right skyline. It doesn't go near the Snowpatch-Pigeon col or the Surf's Up ledge.
cjdrover · · Watertown, MA · Joined Feb 2009 · Points: 355
Martin le Roux wrote: Short answer: No.
^This. The Snowpatch Route is separated from the West Face by the monster South Face, which has I believe only big wall / aid routes so far.

FWIW, this is a photo of the Pigeon-Snowpatch Col taken around June 16, 2015.

Pigeon-Snowpatch Col

If you *really* want to access Surf's Up and the West Face of Snowpatch when the B-S Col is out, the only option is probably navigating up the Piegon Fork to the Piegon-Howser Col, then coming back down the Upper Vowell.
David Carey · · Morrison, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 120

Thanks for these great pictures and your help. I was having trouble reading and figuring out the Snowpatch Route in those pics. And if I may pick your brain once more. The NE Ridge of Bugaboo with a Snowpatch-Pigeon Col Rap...only an extra hour hike you think? Or is this objective just getting to be too long a day? Obviously a team experience related question, but we were already planning on 14-18 hours...just wondering what additional length we might be getting ourselves into.

Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0

BS col is out. Don't bother unless your balls are bigger than your brain.

The snow bridges across the upper Vowell are getting pretty thin, things are heating up at the moment. Negotiation was fine on Thursday morning, as we had a good freeze, but a little spooky in the afternoon. The Snowpatch raps would be a good alternative.

I would say that going around Snowpatch via the raps down the P-S col will add another 1.5-3hrs depending on your speed and if you're in the hut or Applebee.

An experienced party climbed the NE ridge in around 16hrs whilst I was there (with Snowpatch rappels). The scramble up to the Bugaboo Crescent col is reported to be more difficult than usual because the snow has receded so much. Additionally the descent from Bugaboo spire is a bit tricky if you don't know the way, having climbed the Kain route previously is a massive asset. Add some more time for that. A very experienced Scottish party was stranded near the summit due to bad weather, poor visibility and getting lost. They had a 40hr trip.

The trek from Applebee dome to Pigeon took us 2hrs. I'm not sure of the distance but I know we were moving fast on a solid freeze. If you're still keen on Surf's Up add another 1-1.5hrs to get to Snowpatch.

I hope this helps. Things are late season there but there's still plenty to do, have a great trip!

David Carey · · Morrison, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 120

Beean...Thanks for the huge info dump! That was exactly what I was hoping to find online without any luck! I think we will use this info and re-attack our route options! I am sure some of the more simplistic approaches will become more popular, but so much good rock there!

Thanks again for your update!

Cheers,
Dave

jason.cre · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 10

Some great info all, thanks. With the Bugaboo/SPC col out does it make the need for an axe obsolete? Or is it still advisable for the snowpatch raps and descent?

Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0
jason.cre wrote:Some great info all, thanks. With the Bugaboo/SPC col out does it make the need for an axe obsolete? Or is it still advisable for the snowpatch raps and descent?
If you're planning on sticking to the Crescent area or only doing the NE ridge of Bugaboo then you can get by without an axe. The glacier below the Snowpatch Pigeon col is crevassed however you can scramble down loose scree under Son of Snowpatch to avoid it. This path leads to a 20m rap which bypasses a little bit of the walk back to camp but saves little, if any time.

If you're planning on Pigeon then take full glacier kit.
Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0
Brassmonkey wrote:Beean, any chance you have pictures of the bs col and the crevasses opening up on the upper vowell? Just interested to see how much it has changed since I was in there three weeks ago, thanks!
Funnily enough I don't, sorry. I didn't take any pics of either of those for some reason. I guess I ignored the col because it was out and I was too keen to get up and down Pigeon to stop and take some pics of the glacier.
Nick Drake · · Kent, WA · Joined Jan 2015 · Points: 651

I did the B-S col rap route in early July and it's anchor locations are protected from rockfall (although a bit hard to find). Takes a double rope rap to clear the schrund from the third station.
The col is basically a bunch of crappy dirt/mud supporting rocks of all types of sizes, even with the stations being well located you're taking a risk just being in the area, don't even remotely consider going up it. It was just melting out up high in early July, on our way up one day a rock about the size of an oven door whizzed by us, it slid off some mud with no outside influence. Caused the member from another party descending after beckey-chounaird to slip. She wasn't able to arrest, went down the whole couloir, thankfully she stopped just before exposed rocks w/o injury.

If I were doing NE ridge of bugaboo I might consider it for a descent option, assuming that I was climbing with double ropes. More likely though I would just do the NE ridge on another year when the col is still filled with snow. I think July might start becoming the month to visit the bugs in the future.

BFK · · TBD · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 287

Great thread and thanks for all the beta folks.

I'm scheduled to head out to the bugs on Aug 15th and based on what I'm reading it sounds like it may be wise to divert to Squamish!

Question for Beean: Are the Howser Towers accessible at this point? And I guess more importantly is the rap/descent across the upper Vowell passable?

Any updated beta is much appreciated.

Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0
BFK wrote:Great thread and thanks for all the beta folks. I'm scheduled to head out to the bugs on Aug 15th and based on what I'm reading it sounds like it may be wise to divert to Squamish! Question for Beean: Are the Howser Towers accessible at this point? And I guess more importantly is the rap/descent across the upper Vowell passable? Any updated beta is much appreciated.
The Howsers were accessible via the Pigeon-South Howser col when I was there. But that was a week ago.

I would say that given an early start, you can still approach Pigeon from the hut. A freeze inspires confidence on snow bridges. I was a little nervous coming down in the afternoon. You can bypass the upper Vowell descent by heading across to Snowpatch and rapping, it's not a big deal at all.
Beean · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Feb 2014 · Points: 0
BFK wrote:Great thread and thanks for all the beta folks. I'm scheduled to head out to the bugs on Aug 15th and based on what I'm reading it sounds like it may be wise to divert to Squamish! Question for Beean: Are the Howser Towers accessible at this point? And I guess more importantly is the rap/descent across the upper Vowell passable? Any updated beta is much appreciated.
The Howsers were accessible via the Pigeon-South Howser col when I was there. But that was a week ago.

I would say that given an early start, you can still approach Pigeon from the hut. A freeze inspires confidence on snow bridges. I was a little nervous coming down in the afternoon. You can bypass the upper Vowell descent by heading across to Snowpatch and rapping, it's not a big deal at all.
BFK · · TBD · Joined Jan 2009 · Points: 287

Thanks Beean! We're also keeping a keen eye on the weather which seems to show a low pressure system moving in over this weekend. Thinking more and more that Squamish might be a safer bet.

Cheers

David Carey · · Morrison, CO · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 120

Just providing an update for those reading now that I've returned. We did Pigeon and bugaboo spire and they are absolutely both still in. To get to pigeon, we climbed the bugaboo glacier where yes there were lots of exposed crevasses and a couple bridges, there was a well traveled trail that made its passing not to bad.

We decided after pigeon to rap the pigeon snowpatch rappels to familiarize ourselves for the next day doing the bug spire. After descending the Cain route, its an easy 20 min safe travel to the pigeon snowpatch rappels and then 3 60 meter raps to the bugaboo glacier that you'd be familiar with if you'd done pigeon.

The entire bugs area is still open with only added time really would be for west snowpatch routes. Plus, there are tons of great climbs that require no glacier travel at all.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Pacific Northwest
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