Sunshine crack snowpatch spire routes

We spent our first few days trying to complete mostly free routes on snowpatch spire. You will need ice axe and crampons to safely approach any of the rock routes. Snowpatch spire is also the most difficult spire to climb with no routes to. The aesthetics and stunning positions on the ridge make. Bugaboo provincial park is one of the best alpine climbing destinations in the world. It follows a continuous crack system for almost 300 metres and has everything from fingers to offwidth. Approach routes there is a map in the photo gallery for krausmccarthy approach beta. This route is on the north side of snowpatch spire and is easy to spot, just look for the offwidth.

Aug 12, 2011 another time i stared climbing totally frozen in sunshine crack nw face of snowpatch spire, arriving at the first anchor as a dead man. This route is on the north side of snowpatch spire and not to hard to spot from the ground, just look for the offwidth. Hand traverse right with great exposure and into a perfect hand crack that heads up and back left. Feb 22, 2017 dan dangelo huddled in the frigid shadow of snowpatch spire, waiting to begin our assault on the ironically named sunshine crack. Over the last decade or so, the 500m east face of snowpatch spire has been transformed into one of the finest alpine free climbing walls in north america. May 27, 2016 this would make our days longer, but it was a much safer alternative to the bugaboosnowpatch col. This route finishes on the summit ridge, traversing to the south summit. Beckey calls burgundy spire the hardest principal summit in the cascades to be reached via any route. After a relaxed morning on our first day, we decided to try the beach. Andrew and his partner are travelling to the bugaboos to climb four classic routes. Ppt the bugaboo provincial park powerpoint presentation. We decided to give sunshine crack on snowpatch spire a try. I first climbed burgundy spire in 2009 as a fun overnight adventure to cap off a great summer of climbing.

Brian greenwood and george homer established surfs up on the west face of snowpatch spire in 1971. Another must on snowpatch spire is sunshine crack iv 5. The two climbers warmed up by climbing sweet silvia 5. The east face of snowpatch spire showing the route welcome to the machine pitches, 5.

Bugaboo spire as seen from the top of sunshine crack. Snowpatch spire is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, some 30 minutes long hike from the hut across the crescent glacier. Even so, being new to the area, i am always looking for partners who are athletic, motivated, fun, and live for long days in the mountains moving efficiently over large amounts of technical terrain. Rock climb sunshine crack, the bugaboos mountain project. Ironically named, sunshine crack faces north and does not catch sun until. Over the past decade, the east face, which rises above applebee campground, has had more attention than usual for attempts at hard free routes.

Overview snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. It is a ninepitch crack system on the north buttress of the mountain. The easiest route on snowpatch spire is the southeast corner iv 5. Youll first set your eyes on this spire from the parking lot and will identify it by its huge patch of snow found half way up the side of the east face. They continued up good flakes and bivied on a large ledge. Beautiful views of alpine lakes, glaciers, and surrounding alpine peaks.

Jun 08, 2016 we climbed the bugaboo spire, pigeon spire, snowpatch spire, eastpost spire, and crescent spire in bugaboo provincial park. In the summer of 2008 paul mcsorley casually mentioned a line he had scoped on the north face of snowpatch spire, starting about 40m right of sunshine crack. We descended down the krausmccarthy rappel route on the west face of snowpatch spire. Sep 01, 2017 10 things i wont bring next time to the bugaboos. Bugaboo alpine rock mountaineering alpine rock in nelson. They deserve a place high on the priority list of anyone with an attraction to wilderness setting and a love of the classic alpine environment. We climbed the clean offwidth and hand cracks capped by a roof for the route s first free ascent iv 5. Head up the snowpatch bugaboo col and traverse left about halfway up to a ledge covered with loose rock. Since the pigeonsnowpatch col icefall area could only be descended with rappel stations couldnt be traveled up, accessing the west side of the snowpatch spire would take much longer than traveling through the bugaboosnowpatch col. The direct north summit route, established in the early 80s is probably the first really sustained free climb established in the park, repeat ascents report it to be fairly underrated at the original 5.

Snowpatch spire is the centerpiece of the bugaboo group. A party of european climbers rapping off after climbing sunshine crack on snowpatch spire. At least the route is also the descent so were not committing ourselves too much. Bugaboos 2016 beckeychouinard, ne ridge bugaboo spire. The sunshine crack route which jon and i climbed the next day goes up in the shade. Its right in front of you when you reach the hut, the distinctive snowfield that gives the mountain its name front and center. Snowpatch spire is also the most difficult spire to climb with no routes to the top rated under 5. Tom egan is one of the most popular aid lines in the bugs. Rime ice inside the fist crack offwidth on pitch 2. A fair bit of awkward climbing on rounded rock but the last three pitches are. Andreas climbing the upper pitch on sunshine crack flovanol. Bugaboo spire pigeon spire snowpatch spire eastpost. Stellar crack climbing up the south west ridge of snowpatch spire.

All locations international n america canada british columbia columbia mountains purcell mountains bugaboos snowpatch spire sunshine crack 5. Sunshine crack is located on the north west side of snowpatch spire. This trad climb has 6 sends and was recently flashed by ian reston. So in early july 2014, over the course of a week, i made two separate trips into the perch and climbed four popular classic routes. Snowpatch spire sunshine crack snowpatch spire surfs up south howser tower beckeychouinard, 2007. Most of snowpatch s viable free routes are on its western face. The scenic route a climbing misadventure on the northeast ridge of bugaboo spire. Were back two days later with another fourday food supply. There was not much sun and the two climbed capsulestyle up the lower section.

If, like most people, you enter the bugs via the trail to conrad kain hut, you wont have to ask anyone for directions to snowpatch. Of the pitches, 12 are new and one is shared with the route deus ex machina, an a3 pitch that walsh and berg free climbed at 5. His veins run cold when he realizes whos been haunting the homestead all along duration. Elephants perch 2014 mountaineers route, direct beckey.

This time around, we climb surfs up and sunshine crack on snowpatch, and paddle flake direct on crescent spire. Andreas climbing the upper pitch on sunshine crack youtube. This climber has a terrifying moment on a notorious route nick. Snowpatch spire has worldclass hard alpine free routes. On august 15, the three of us completed a new route on the western shoulder of the south face of snowpatch spire. Gain a small sloping ledge, traversing right and down climb to surfs up ledge.

The next day we chose a shorter objectivethe classic sunshine crack on snowpatch so we could hike out and make the 3. The south, west and north faces boast numerous classic free routes such as the popular snowpatch, surfs up, krausmccarthy and sunshine crack. Popular guided routes in the bugaboos professional guided. Snowpatch was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. Aac publications snowpatch spire, south howser tower. The author jams up the sunshine route on snowpatch spire.

Bugaboo alpine rock mountaineering alpine rock in nelson bc. Aac publications snowpatch spire, east face, new routes. Snowpatch spire snowpatch route snowpatch spire sunshine crack. And being on one of the longest and remote routes in one of the most rugged areas of. Kraus and mccarthy were the best climbers from the gunks when they did the west face of snowpatch spire. Searching for alpine perfection in the bugaboos climbing.

Sunshine is on the north face, which can be approached by following the trail from the hut about a quarter way up toward the snowpatch bugaboo col to a large, loose ledge. So far only two routes have been established there. Crescent spire and crescent towers as seen from the top of sunshine crack. Pigeon spire as seen from across the upper vowell glacier. Bugaboo spire was first ascended via the kain route in 1916 by conrad kain. Its isolated brushy valleys, jagged ridges, long and steep climbs on mixed. Over the course of the summer as i have been climbing in colorado, i have met some awesome climbing partners and had some awesome adventures. We climbed the sunshine route on snowpatch spire which had lots of fun meatandpotatoes crack climbing.

Conrad kain once described this spire as being unclimbable. Last season, michelle kadatz and i investigated the sector in the bugaboo guidebook where the great flake fell off the lower middle section of snowpatch spire, taking the first three pitches of several routes including les bruines es pentinen, deus ex machina, and the original sunshine wall with it. Best guidebook to the bugaboos supertopo rock climbing. On the first trip, i met up with my gungho seattle buddies jessica and geoff and we had a blitzkrieg trip where we climbed first the mountaineers route iii, 5.

It runs up the left side of the eastern face of snowpatch spire and descends the western face. Large solid granite spires that have a variety of quality cracks. Rock climbing routes in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos. Be aware that in the best of conditions, weather here is volitile. Twelve pitches long route leads to the north summit. Brice pollock 10 things i wont bring next time to the bugaboos. If your spent you might want to consider going left at about 5.

Jam the steep hand and fist crack for about 100 until the crack splits left and right. Follow a finger corner crack climbing over blocks going to the right out of the alcove. Since it was just a short stroll from applebee camp, i was easily convinced. The north east ridge of bugaboo spire is one of the most classic lines in the. The beckeychouinard on the south howser tower grade v, 5. Snowpatch spire 10,050 feet this dominant buttress holds over 50 routes from 5. Climbers descending snow slopes north of the bugaboo snowpatch col. Dec 19, 2015 shown is this gallery, schaar has captured many stuning views and routes such as. Dan dangelo huddled in the frigid shadow of snowpatch spire, waiting to begin our assault on the ironically named sunshine crack. The next day we chose a shorter objectivethe classic sunshine crack on snowpatchso we could hike out and make the 3. Pigeon spire, south howser tower, bugaboo spire, and snowpatch spire all conjure up some of the great moments in the history of north american alpine climbing. Aac publications snowpatch spire, south howser tower, north. But the epic of all epics mother nature kept aside for us till the very end.

We left applebee dome camp at 4am and hiked down and around the toe of son of snowpatch and up to the notch between son of snowpatch and. We climbed the bugaboo spire, pigeon spire, snowpatch spire, eastpost spire, and crescent spire in bugaboo provincial park. One of the most climbed and most enjoyed routes in the bugaboos. With its first ascent in 1940, snowpatch spire mountain peak was the last of the bugaboo spires to be climbed. In the late 1930s, snowpatch spire was talked of as the continents number one climbing problem. Rock climbing in snowpatch spire, the bugaboos mountain project. Dan dangelo huddled in the frigid shadow of snowpatch spire, waiting. Snowpatch spire, bugaboos, august 1997 the classic view of the east face of snowpatch spire. The last two climbs of the trip were both on the massive snowpatch spire. After a couple misstarts, we did some loston snowpatch route, to the left of north tower direct and right of flamingo fling.

It is located southwest of the conrad kain hut, across the crescent glacier. Snowpatch spire is in the purcell range of the canadian rockies, and within a subrange called the bugaboos. Bugaboo spire takes up the left side of this photo, with crescent spire clearly visible in the background. As part of the rei coop family, were dedicated to making websites and mobile. Formerly best known as an aidclimbing venue, it is now covered in free routesmostly difficult ones, usually with at least a couple of 5. The kain route is more of a general mountaineering route than one of the long, sustained technical granite climbs the bugs are known for. Bugaboos ne ridge, pigeon, and sunshine crack youtube. There are many classic climbs up the spire, including sunshine crack 5. The approach is an easy 45 minute jaunt across the glacier from applebee.