Another Fine Day in The Bugaboos

This is an account of our Fine Day in the Bugaboos, suggested grade 5.8.

Pitch 0

Enter into the moat and go up a left facing corner/ramp for 15-20m following easy cracks to gain a ledge and belay from here.

Pitch 1 

Go up and right and then back slightly left into an open bay from which you can see the gendarme above and to the right. 5.7 30m 

Pitch 2

Options to climb cracks to the left or right up and then follow the corner system on the right all the way to a ledge for a good belay 5.7 60m 

Pitch 3

Climb to the left of the gendarme into the right crack until it runs out at a small ledge 5.7 40-45m (option to bring wide gear and climb the left crack off-width style)

Pitch 4 

Scramble 15m to move the belay up and left of the corner.

Pitch 5

To the left of the spur climb into a right facing corner and layback up until you can gain another ledge from which you can scramble up to below a wide chimney. Suggested grade 5.8 25-30m

Pitch 6

Climb a blocky chimney with the crux in the middle and then follow a nice hand to fingers crack on the right side until you exit the top of the chimney. Belay here. Suggested grade 5.8 40-50m 

Pitch 7 

Head left out and around (or climb a short hand crack in a deep corner, 5.10a) to gain easier ground and up a sandy ramp to a low corner. 5.4 25m

Pitch 8

Climb left out of the corner on some chossy rock, up a slab onto a ramp with a left facing corner. A couple moves up right at the end of the ramp allows you to gain another ramp with a low angle hand crack or stay far right for easier terrain. Then a short finger traverse left puts you in a gully. Belayed from a large protruding flake on the left of the gully. 5.6 40m

Pitch 9

Head up the gully and then traverse left to another gully (was filled with snow) either scramble up left past the snow and then up for easier terrain in a corner or (9a) start climbing straight up the steep wall just at the mouth of the gully (before the snow). Scramble up loose blocky terrain until you are on the North Ridge. (Option for a right variation exiting the first gully, left being easier up the blocky gully but rope drag may become too much so this could be broken down into two smaller sections). 5.6 70m (var 9a: break pitch into 2 to reduce rope drag 5.5 35m and 5.7 35m)

Ascent: This route requires an approx. 2 hour approach from Applebee Campground passing through the Cresent-Eastpost Col. Drop low and traverse East below Whipping Post (there was still lots of snow on the north side of Crescent-Whipping Post Col), scramble through the boulder field back up North-West to the Brenta-Cobalt Lake Spire Col. Cross snow and scree slopes past Brenta Spire East buttress and aim for the North-East Spur of Brenta. Gain the snow and aim for 11U 516309 5623102, this is where Pitch 0 as we describe it starts.

Descent: Follow the ridge line and pass the main summit, on the South side of the summit there is some webbing and a mallion to use for a rappel down the East side of the summit to avoid loose and exposed stiff 4th class terrain. With a 70m you can rappel past two sections of this and reach the South Ridge safely. Continue down the South Ridge to reach the second Col with a big boulder and a big cairn to find the bolted ring for rappels on the East side of the big Boulder. 3 rappels before a 20-30m scramble to find on skiers right the last rings for the 4th rappel. This final rappel put us in a moat that we then had to climb out of so maybe not a bad idea to bring along axes at minimum. Walk back to the camp. (it took us around 5 hours for the descent)

Singles of .1-.2 and #4, Doubles of .3-#3 (optional double #4 and single #5 or #6) Full set of nuts