Snowpatch Spire South Face - Bugaboo Spire East Face

With classics such as the Northeast Ridge (part of Steck and Roper's 50), the Cooper-Gran and the moderate Kain route, the east face of Bugaboo Spire offers some great climbing with a moderate approach (by Bugaboo standards). The south face of Snowpatch, on the other hand, is the realm of long and difficult aid routes, with a few more modern free lines being put up on the left side in recent years.

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Route List

1: Guy Like You, 5.12c, D. Cunningham, O. Ouellette, C. Willie, 2017 E. Bureau-Lafontaine, O. Ouellette, S. Tanguay, 2018
2: South Saddle Schtick Up, 5.11c, C. Brazeau, C. Lank, 2016
3: South Face Left, 5.8 A2, C. Jones, J. Lowe, 08/1973
4: This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven, A4, A. Berg, J. Hector, 09/2005
5: ASTA, 5.9 A3, J. Blanc-Gras, D. Jonglez, 08/1996
6: Edwards-Jessup, 5.12- R, G. Edwards, M. Jessup, 08/1999
7: South Face Direct, 5.8 A2, H. Abrons, G. Millikan, 07/1965
8: Upper South Face, 5.12-, J. Hudson, A. Leemets, R. Williams, 1966/T. Gibson, R. Rohn, 08/1980
9: Lightning Bolt Crack, 5.10, G. Banks, L. Dean, N. Beidleman, 08/1981
10: Left Hand var., 5.9, A. Hall, C. Hall, C. Boeking, 08/1986
11: Direct var., 5.10-, R. MacAllister, G. Gledhill
12: Snowpatch Route, 5.8, J. Arnold, R. Bedayn, 08/1940
13: Honeymooners var., 5.9, L. Benoliel, A. Hamilton, 08/1989
14: Kain Route, 5.8, C. Kain, A. MacCarthy, B. MacCarthy, J. Vincent, 08/1916
15: Herr2 Route, 5.11, Hugh Herr, Hans Herr, 08/1979
16: Japanese Pillar, 5.12-, S. Cosgrove, M. Bowling, 08/1992
17: Cooper-Gran, 5.11, E. Cooper, A. Gran, 08/1960/M. Tschipper, T. Gibson, 08/1980
18: Symposium, 5.8 A2+, A. McAfee, 08/2002
19: Midnight Route, 5.12b, J. Wilson, P. Cole, 07/1981/C. Brazeau, J. Simms, 08/2007
20: Divine Intervention, 5.11b, C. Moorhead, C. Brazeau, 08/2006
21: Modern Graffiti, 5.10+, K. Harvey, S. Roach, 09/1990
22: Pretty Vacant, 5.10 A1, J. Buszowski, C. Thompson, 08/1983
23: Where’s Issac, 5.11+, J. Copp, J. Hollenbaugh, 07/2002
24: Northeast Ridge, 5.8, D. Craft, D. Isles, R. Sykes, J. Turner, 08/1958/J. Buszowski, B. Ehmann, 1985

Sources

• “The Bugaboos, The Climbers Guide,” Chris Atkinson, Marc Piché, High Col Press, 2022

• “Fifty Classic Climbs of North America,” Steve Roper, Allen Steck, Sierra Club Books, 1979

• “Bugaboo Rock, A Climbing Guide,” 2nd ed., Randall Green, Joe Bensen, The Mountaineers Books, 2003

• “The Bugaboos, An Alpine History,” J.F. Garden, Footprint Publishing, 1987

• “Pigeon Feathers and Snowpatch Spire: Three New Routes,” Olivier Ouellette, The American Alpine Journal, Vol. 61, Issue 93, 2019

• Mountain Project

Updates

Feb 14, 2023: First version published.

May 15, 2024: Graphic design update

Feb 18, 2026: Minor graphic design update, caption update with initials and months of ascent (pretty much always August anyway)