Freeing the headwall traverse with a decent .75 placement midway. Use a double shoulder length runner and omit placing much, if any, on the subsequent 5.6 ramp to reduce rope drag.

All Locations > International > N America > Canada > British Columbia > Columbia-Shushwap > Bugaboos > Howser Towers > S Howser Tower > Beckey-Chouinard (5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b) (Pitch 17)

Freeing the headwall traverse with a decent .75 placement midway. Use a double shoulder length runner and omit placing much, if any, on the subsequent 5.6 ramp to reduce rope drag.

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Looking up from the base of the rap route.

At the split boulders which mark the start of the roped climbing.

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5.0 from 4 votes

M D

Sep 15, 2023

“Freeing the headwall traverse with a decent .75 placement midway. Use a double shoulder length runner and omit placing much, if any, on the subsequent 5.6 ramp to reduce rope drag.”

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Nearby Photos

South Howser from the approach to the Beckey-Chouinard

"Glaciers and Forest Fire" Starting the raps on a beautiful August evening. Photo credit Evan Ludmer

What could be better than getting Fred's blessing before hiking in to climb South Howser?

launching off

Tim and Grant nearing the top

Great White Headwall. This is not the BC route. It is harder. But looks way cool.

The dihedral on the lower part of the BC, with the headwall above.

A long walk awaited us that night. We were camped at a small tarn above Cobalt Lake. Took about three hours to get there. July 1979

On the great white headwall.

Peter Cole at the top of the B-C/South Howser Tower, July 1979 - photo by Dennis Ellsohn

A rimed up view of the route after a four day storm. July 1979

A group working the head wall cracks just above the bivy ledge. Not sure what they go at?
<br>
August 2, 2017

From the summit looking North West during sunset

Tension traverse (or 5.10 free) at start of Pitch 15.

Looking down at the lower part of the Beckey-Chouinard from the top of pitch 11.

Erik & Felix super stoked to be on the summit of South Howser Tower.

Perspectives<br>

Starting up Pitch 11.

Samuel somewhere on the slabby, White Headwall

Dennis Ellsohn jugging snowy iced up cracks on day 2. July 1979

The Becky-Chouinard ridge catching a striking last light. Taken from summit ridge of North Howser. August 2023

Bivy site below Great White Headwall.

Looking up from the base of the rap route.

Freeing the headwall traverse with a decent .75 placement midway. Use a double shoulder length runner and omit placing much, if any, on the subsequent 5.6 ramp to reduce rope drag.

At the split boulders which mark the start of the roped climbing.

Pitch 14.

Lost in the sauce on the Great White Headwall.

BC in all its glory

Partial solar eclipse taken through a pair of very sweaty cardboard eclipse glasses from the top of Pitch 9.

The first pitch of the Great White Headwall

Beckey-Chouinard, South Howser<br>
Photo by Mtn. Proj. contributor Timmy! Tormey

The rap route puts you on flat glacier.

The GOAT of the Bugs simuling past me in his approach shoes, 2017 (RIP you inspired so many of us)

The first pitch of the Great White Headwall climbs a short 5.10 offwidth/fist crack, then up these steep 5.9 cracks to the belay

Pitch 10. The right-hand crack is a bit easier.

Sunset on the big bivy ledge below the headwall.

On the rap route. With the wind and the lower angle of the first half of the rappel route, we decided to rap the first half with a single 70 rather than double ropes. The basic idea for Rappels 1-3 is to stay on the ridge and don't wander towards North Howser.

The awesome corner of Pitches 6-7.

Pitch 5.

Can use these pins for the tension traverse at start of Pitch 15.

Pitch 8.

Harz on the tricky traverse above the headwall.

Rappels 4-5 go down this corner system that faces North Howser.

Pitch 12.

Dan Cauthorn. Cumbre

Rap route off S. Howser Tower, from sign hanging in Kain Hut.

Bivy site below Great White Headwall.

Scramble to the summit of S. Howser. First rap station to go towards Central Howser consists of cord (Aug, 2023) and is found just to the north.

First rappel at the top of the gully on pitch 15.

Hazy descent

The great white headwall

Nearing the top of the B-C at sunset.

Rap route off S. Howser Tower, from sign hanging in Kain Hut.

Me at the rap station after the crux pitch

5.6 gully on Pitch 15 after tension traverse.

Pitch 9.

Start of Pitch 6.

Pitch 11 up Great White Headwall.

In This Photo

M D

Durango, CO

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