[MCR] Purcells, Bugaboos

Subject: [MCR] Purcells, Bugaboos
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 19:17:43 -0600
I guided in the Bugaboos from August 10-15 and made ascents of Lion's Way, the 
West Ridge of Pigeon Spire, the Northwest Ridge of Eastpost Spire and the Kain 
route on Bugaboo Spire; all of these routes were in great shape. Of note was a 
rockfall event that we witnessed while gearing up on the glacier below the 
Bugaboo/Snowpatch Col at about 6:30 am on Monday morning, August 12th. A hot 
tub sized boulder, along with an accompaniment  of cooler sized rocks tumbled 
free from the Bugaboo side. The hot tub strafed a perfect mid line trench down 
the switchbacks that everyone uses to access the col. It did an impressive 
triple gainer when it hammered into the exposed rock pile towards the bottom of 
the slope and then smacked a crater into the snow and etched a trough to a 
stop. We chose not to ascend the common steps and set steps up the Snowpatch 
side, which had little evidence of rockfall (I repeated this tactic on our 
approach to the Kain Route). We kept tight to Snowpatch and ga
 zed into it's moat on several switchbacks and it felt much less exposed 
although it is steeper and there are no deep steps. We rappelled the Snowpatch 
rappels down the other side of Snowpatch on our descent from Pigeon Spire, no 
rockfall there.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com




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