Snowpatch Spire West Face - Pigeon Spire North Face

Like the nearby Howser Towers, the two granite peaks of Snowpatch and Pigeon Spires have very different characters depending on which aspect you look at: long and steep on their east and south aspects, with extreme aid and free routes (and now rockfall), and a lot more moderate on very reasonable 300m high faces rising above the Vowell glacier. The west ridge of Pigeon Spire, in particular, is an easy classic with a very unique feature: pit toilets with the best view in Canada!

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Route List

1: Buckingham Route: the Enjoyable Way, 5.8, A. Buckingham, A. Guess, R. Page, E. Wipple, 07/1958
2: Eli the Bad Guy, 5.10, A. Rennie, K. Chartrand, 08/2016
3: Wedding Jitters, 5.11-, C. Atkinson, K. Fraser, C. Giesler, R. Rankin, 08/2009
4: Gran-Hudson, 5.7 A2, A. Gran, J. Hudson, 08/1961
5: Tobin Sorenson Route/Flamingo Fling, 5.10, R. Accomazzo, T. Sorenson, 08/1975
6: North Summit Direct, 5.11+, P. Morand, J.C. Sonneuye, 08/1979/T. Gibson, R. Rohn, 08/1981
7: Bugaburl, 5.11d, C. Moorhead, C. Brazeau, 2006
8: Tower Arête, 5.12- R, Gibbons, Green, Hecht, 1986
9: Wile Flowers, 5.12a/b R, C. Brazeau, Q. Brett, 07/2013
10: Super Direct, 5.10+, N. Preshaw, R.M. Preshaw, 07/1992
11: Tam-Tam Boom-Boom Pili-Pili, 5.11+, P. Faivre, J. Lemoine, P. Tanguy, 08/1987
12: Beckey-Rowell, 5.10+, F. Beckey, G. Rowell, 08/1967/A. Bowers, G. Edwards, 08/1997
13: Beckey-Greenwood, 5.10, F. Beckey, B. Greenwood, 07/1959
14: Liver and Fava Beans, 5.10, T. Hanson, K. Chartrand
15: Wildflowers, 5.9, B. Dougherty, A. Higbee, 08/1974
16: Kraus-McCarthy, 5.9+, H. Kraus, J. McCarthy, J. Rupley, 08/1956/A. Ourom, E. Weinstein, 08/1974
17: Furry Pink Arête, 5.10+, P. Croft, G. Foweraker, 08/1981
18: Which Way, 5.10, C. Copeland, T. Thomas, 08/1987
19: Dégringolade, 5.10, S. Hechtel, J. Jones, 07/1973
20: Attack of the Killer Chipmunks, 5.10, G. Creighton, C. Thompson, 08/1986
21: Henault-Trout, 5.10, A. Henault, K. Trout, 08/1974
22: Surf’s Up Direct, 5.9, E. Davies, P. Derouin, 08/1971
23: Surf’s Up, 5.9, B. Greenwood, G. Homer, 08/1971
24: The Beach, 5.11-, C. Atkinson, M. Piché, 08/2002/T. Gibson, 2012
25: Wingtip Arête, 5.10-, C. Atkinson, R. Green, 08/1987
26: Northwest Face, 5.7 A3, F. Beckey, Y. Chouinard, 08/1961
27: Feather Fallout, 5.10, L. Johnson, S. Mikesell, R. Skelding, 07/1974/T. Hanson, M. Piché, 2010
28: Tail-Feather Pinnacle Left, 5.10, C. Atkinson, L. Eltis, T. Fodor, 08/1989
29: Direct Becky, 5.10, T. Hanson, Becky Philips, 08/2010
30: Tail-Feather Pinnacle Right, 5.10-, J. Benson, G. Klein, R. Green, 08/1987
31: West Ridge of Pigeon Spire, 5.4, E. Cromwell, P. Kaufmann, 08/1930

Sources

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

• “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

• The American Alpine Journal, Vol. 60, Issue 92, 2018

• Mountain Project

• Friends of the Bugaboos Facebook Page

• James Madden

• Jon Walsh

Updates

Feb 8, 2023: First version published.

May 15, 2024: Graphic design update

Feb 18, 2026: Graphic design and caption update, including color change.