We spent the from August 1st to the 8th in the Bugaboos. We experienced the driest glacial conditions that I have seen in my 12 years of going there.
The bridging up the Bugaboo glacier on the way to Pigeon Spire is fading fast with very limited options to get across some of the larger crevasses. The Snowpatch rappels are a good option for an afternoon descent from the Pigeon/Howser col area.
The second notable observation was the amount of natural rock fall that occurred throughout the week. A lot of the slopes that would normally hold snow for the entire summer are melting out and resulting in some fairly substantial rock fall.
Travel to some of the more obscure locations i.e. South East ridge of Brenta spire were greatly hindered by the lack of snow and slow travel over talus slopes.
Otherwise, there was a skiff of snow that fell last Thursday on the high north faces but is most likely melted out by now. Great travel dry travel on all the routes that we climbed.
Enjoy the return of summer!!
Eric Ostopkevich MG
Geoff Osler SG/AAG
Bugaboo Glacier looking up towards Pigeon.
Glacier below Marmolata.
