 Location: The Bugaboos are located in southeastern British Columbia, in the Purcell Mountains, 60 km southeast of Glacier National Park and 40 km west of Kootenay National Park. They lie between the Duncan River to the west and Highway 95 going up the Columbia River on the east. The Purcells, of course, are divided from the Rockies by the Columbia River, which runs north in the Rocky Mountain Trench.
Terrain: The northwest portion contains the forested Vowell and Malloy drainages, as well as part of the Conrad Icefield. The peaks in this area are less jagged than the spires to the southeast. The southeastern portion of the park is dominated by a group of spectacular peaks collectively known as The Bugaboos. Most peaks are steep and smooth granite spires, quite unlike the limestone peaks found in the Rockies on the other side of the trench. There is more snowfall here than East of the continental divide, and the area has gained considerable reputation for heli-skiing as well as the spectacular alpine rock climbs. The climbing season is June to September. During this time, the weather is somewhat predictable, with clear mornings and thunderstorms in the afternoon. But don't count on it - sometimes the bad weather can last for a week or more.
History: The Bugaboos have been an attraction to mountaineers since the Palliser Expedition of 1857 - 1860, which first traversed the area. In 1910 A. Wheeler led a survey and exploration expedition with Conrad Kain, Tom Longstaff and Byron Harmon. Kain was the "survey assistant". By ascending Bugaboo Creek, they got to within a few kilometers of the famed granite spires, but climbing was not on the agenda. However Kain was not one to just pass such things by, and in August of 1916 he returned in force to the headwaters of Bugaboo Creek with none other than the ledgendary A. MacCarthy with whom he had climbed the formidible Mt Louis, near Banff, earlier the same year. Others in the party were Mrs Macarthy, H. Frind, John Vincent and Mrs George Vincent. From what is now called the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col, they first identified and named Marmolata, Snowpatch and Bugaboo Spires. After studying the route at lunch, Kain then led the rest of the party up North Howser Tower. The route was sufficiently complex to give Conrad Kain ample opportunity to demonstrate his mastery of route finding, over the tricky bergshrund and cutting steps up the 50 degree slope in the grand old style. By 16:00 the party was on the summit. On August 29, three days later, the MacCarthys, John Vincent and Conrad Kain set out to climb Bugaboo Spire itself. After 3 hours they reached the now famous gendarme that blocks the ridge. There was no way around it, and Conrad and John realized they were in a bit of a...more
Park Information
Headquarters: BC Parks, Kootenay Region, Cranbrook. (250) 489-8540
Permits: If you are planning on climbing in the main spires, camping is restricted to the 2 designated campgrounds, Boulder Camp, situated 100 m below the Conrad Kain Hut, and Applebee Dome, situated 1 km above the Conrad Kain Hut. A $5.00 per-person fee is in effect for camping. Visitors intending to use the campsites must first self-register at the Kain Hut. Bivouacking is not permitted in the park in the vicinity of the main Bugaboo Spires. An established bivy site with no facilities exists in the East Creek Basin, outside the park, which is a convenient location for climbs on the S Howser Tower and the Pigeon Feathers. Bivouac sites in more remote areas of the park, such as the Vowell Group, should be chosen carefully and precautions taken to prevent contamination of water sources and to minimize damage to alpine vegetation. Click for Peak Lister |
