Bugaboos Peaks & Climbs

Bugaboos Peaks & Climbs Itinerary

Glacier Travel / Scrambling / Family Itineraries, 7 – 10hrs

4 days, up to 5 participants / guide
Day 1: Drive from Canmore / Banff and approach hike to Kain Hut or Applebee.
Day 2: Glacier tour in the “Glacier Peaks” with several peak ascents as options. Awe-inspiring close-ups of the big spires!
Day 3: East Post NE ridge scramble or top roping close to the hut or Applebee
Day 4: Hike out via Cobalt Lake and Blackforest ridge – some glacier travel and scrambling involved. One of Canada’s most scenic hikes! Drive back.

Moderate Technical Rock Climbs (up to 5.6), 10 – 14 hrs days

4 days, max of 2 participants / guide
Day 1: Drive from Canmore / Banff and approach hike to Kain Hut or Applebee.
Day 2: Pigeon West Ridge (5.5)
Day 3: Bugaboo Spire, Kain Route (5.6)
Day 4: Crescent Spire, Lion’s Way (5.6) – return to trail head and drive back

Difficult Technical Rock Climbs (up to 5.8), 10 – 16 hrs days

4 days, max of 2 participants / guide:
Day 1: Drive from Canmore / Banff and approach hike to Kain Hut or Applebee.
Day 2: Snowpatch Spire, Buckingham (5.8) or Snowpatch Route (5.8, 17 pitches!)
Day 3: Bugaboo Spire, NE Ridge (5.8)
Day 4: Crescent Spite. Ears Between (5.7) – return to trail head and drive back

Very Difficult Technical Rock Climbs (to 5.10), 10 – 18 hrs days
5 days, max 1 participant/guide:
Day 1: Drive from Canmore / Banff and approach hike to Kain Hut or Applebee.
Day 2: Bugaboo Spire, NE Ridge (5.8)
Day 3: Approach hike to East Creek bivi at base, optional climb on Snowpatch Spire or Pigeon Spire depending on weather and fatigue.
Day 4: Beckey / Chouinard (5.10, 22 pitches), descent back to bivi site.
Day 5: Walk-out and drive back

Pricing

Please add 5% GST to all prices.

Get a quote

Upon request, we can put a quote together for you which will cover all aspects of the trip.

Guide fees for standard climbing days

2025 Prices

1 client: CAD$ 720 / day
2 clients: CAD$ 840 / day (CD$ 420 / person)
3 clients: CAD$ 930 / day (CD$ 310 / person)

Please note that trips last a minimum of two days, however, this would be extremely rushed. If you really want to experience the Bugaboos, it is better to plan for 4 or 5 days. Also, note that not all climbs can be done with three clients.

Driving cost

If the guide provides transport in his vehicle (rather than catching a ride with you) we charge CAD $0.7/km (eg. from Canmore = 240 km one way = CAD $336 total). If you prefer to meet your guide at the trailhead or anywhere along the route, we charge CAD $0.42 per driven km. There is a reliable shuttle service from the Calgary Airport to Canmore (1.5 hrs) for CAD $80-90 per person which we can also include in your trip package. The logging road to the Bugaboos can almost always be driven in a normal car at a very slow pace, but don’t bring your low-clearance sports car!

Food

We can provide home-cooked, dehydrated, and portioned meals: dinners, and breakfast supplies for CAD $50 per person, per day. Alternatively, you can bring your own food, including dinners for the guide. if you prefer to look after your own food only, we charge a food allowance of CAD $40/day for the guide to bring his/her own.

Hut accommodation at the Alpine Club of Canada’s Conrad Kain Hut

Your guide stays for free and clients pay CAD $25 each per night. The hut sells out in high season (mid-July to end of August) and we recommend reserving as early as possible. The alternatives are to stay at the Applebee and Boulder campgrounds ($10/person), but they make for a longer approach with heavier packs.

Mountaineering rental gear

We will gladly rent you lightweight crampons, a helmet, harness, ice axe, etc. The guide will bring all the technical climbing gear such as cams, ropes, etc.

FAQ

Do I need to sign a Release of Liability & Assumption of Risk Agreement (a.ka. liability waiver)?

Yes, you do. Mountaineering, skiing, climbing, hiking, via ferrata and all other wilderness and adventure travel activities are inherently risky with potential for injuries or even death.
It is very important to us that you are aware of those risks before you start the booking process, which includes filling out a booking form and paying a deposit.
With signing the liability waiver, you confirm that you understand the potential risks and hazards, and are willing to accept the risks, which includes giving up legal rights you may have.
This would also be the time to ask questions or address concerns before you book.
For your reference here is a link to our Liability Waiver. Our booking terms & cancellation policy with more details can be found here

How to get to the Bugaboos

Best way is by car. From the East: 336 km from Calgary AB, 207 km from Banff AB. From the West: 843 km from Vancouver, 124 km from Golden BC. From the South: 326 miles from Spokane WA.
Important is that the last 46 km from Brisco to the trail head are not paved and pothole-ridden. Especially early season, the road can be still be covered with residual avalanche debris and / or very muddy. Commonly a two wheel drive is sufficient with careful driving, however the clearance of a four wheel drive vehicle comes in handy, if you have one. Also, beware of fast moving work and logging trucks coming your way! The road is usually drivable from mid-June to the end of October.

Once at the parking lot, it is recommended to use some of the posts and chicken wire stored there to built a fence around your car in order to prevent omni-present porcupines from chewing cables and even tires!

Lodging / Camping in the Bugaboos

The Bugaboos are a BC Provincial Park and there are rules for staying overnight in the Park.
Kain Hut: (2230m) Reachable from the trail head in 2 – 3 hrs (4.6 km and 720m vertical gain), depending on your pack weight! During summer, there is a custodian and frequently a BC Park Warden based there. The hut holds 36 people, offers electrical power and gas as well as all necessary kitchen equipment, outhouses and mattresses. For reservations please call the Alpine Club of Canada in Canmore at (403) 678 3200. Fees are $22 / person/ night – your ACMG-certified guide goes free, courtesy of the ACC.

The hut does book out frequently in high season, especially on weekends! Also, please note that the hut is closed from November 16 to April 30 due to avalanche hazard and it has been hit previously at least three times.

Camping is restricted to the Boulder Camp site (2170m, 8 sites, 5 minutes down from the Kain Hut) or more popular, the Applebee Camp (2480m, 250 vertical meters and 1 km up from the Kain Hut, 20 sites). Please pay your fees to the Kain Hut custodian or self register in the hut in the absence of a custodian. Fees are about $ 5 /person/night.

Bivouacking in the Bugaboo / Snowpatch Col and the Pigeon / Howser Col or anywhere close to the Pigeon West Ridge is not permitted. If you wish to bivi close to the Becky / Chouinard on South Howser, you have to descend into East Creek, which is outside the Park. If you have to bivi on routes, please minimize your impact!

Meeting Point

Depending on our client’s preference, we can either meet you a) at the trail head of Bugaboo Provincial Park or b) in the towns of Golden or Radium in the morning of the hut approach or c) in Banff or Canmore. The latter option is advantageous, as we can do a pre-trip briefing with equipment check and if need be, replenish food and equipment in the many shops in town. Also, in most cases it makes sense (and saves cost) to car pool with your guide.

Recommended Season, Weather and Temperatures in the Bugaboos

Climbing season in the Bugaboos is late June until the end of September, however, like anywhere in the mountains of the Interior Ranges of Western Canada it can snow to valley bottom any month of the summer too.
Depending on snow coverage from the winter one can generalize: The earlier in the season (July) the easier are the approaches and glacier travel however you might still encounter residual snow on climbs and descents. Later in the season (August), the rock routes tend to be entirely dry however some of the approaches become more icy, cumbersome and exposed to rock fall, namely the often used route through the Bugaboo / Snowpatch Col and the access to the Pigeon West Ridge. Come September, fresh snow can become an issue for both glacier approaches and climbs.

Bugaboo-specific Equipment Needs
The key word is: Go light! With the glacial approaches, you often have to carry mountaineering equipment through technical rock routes, namely for trips like the NE ridge of the Bugaboo spire.

Essential pieces of equipment are:
Light mountaineering boots, light-weight crampons – best aluminum (for rent to our clients or included in our trip packages), light weight ice axe or combi tool, comfortable rock shoes and a GOOD headlamp.
Heli-Hiking with Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH) in the Bugaboos
If you are looking for a very special vacation you should look into a heli-hiking trip with CMH. The CMH Bugaboos Lodge is only 15 minutes from the Bugaboos trail head located in a world class setting, excellent food, great rooms, a roof top spa and hot tub and daily sorties into the surrounding ranges of the Bugaboos with groups of all levels.
CMH also offers peak ascents with helicopter support, however CMH helicopters may not land in the Bugaboos Provincial Park during summer. Hence, mainly the high peaks at the Park’s periphery lend themselves for a climb with helicopter support – such as the south side of the Howser Towers and especially the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire. Please feel free to inquire directly with us or CMH about your “heli-mountaineering options.

Medical/Rescue and Trip Cancellation Insurance

We strongly recommend the purchase of a travel insurance package that does cover adventure travel. Common policies sold by travel agents or policies included in your credit card contract tend to exclude “mountaineering”  if you read through the fine print. We recommend an adventure travel policy on our website at http://ontopmountaineering.com/travel-insurance/  which our clients had good experiences with in the past. *NEW: we now recommend including covid-19/pandemic coverage with your insurance policy.

Where do we base ourselves in the Bugaboos? Kain Hut or Applebee Campground?
We encourage to stay at the Kain Hut. It does add a bit of walking (20 – 30 min) for most approaches but it greatly reduces the amount of weight you have to carry initially as you can afford bringing a lighter sleeping bag, no pots, no fuel, no dishes, no mattress, no tent. Staying at the hut seems to provide to give people a better rest as live is easier with running water, light and a fully quipped kitchen at hand.

Are the Bugaboos the best place for rock climbing in the Canadian Rockies? Am I getting the best bang for my buck?
The Bugaboos are one of the most stunning alpine climbing areas in North America. However, most climbs require pretty long approaches, mostly on glaciers, For Pigeon West Ridge for example you usually spend about 6 hours walking and 5 hours climbing. The Kain Route on Bugaboo spire has 5 good pitches of climbing, the rest is scrambling and boot kicking in 40 degree snow and ice on the way to Bugaboo Snowpatch Col. If you want to maximize the time spend on rock relative to your approach time, there are much better places for alpine climbing in Western Canada than the Bugaboos.

What is the best area for a “warm-up” Climbs?
We recommend doing a warm up day in Canmore or Banff, climb a lime stone climb with a short approach of 4 – 13 pitches and get ready for the Bugaboos, including an early start the next morning. Commonly we can offer slightly lower day rates as most of our guides are based in Canmore or Banff.

Climbing Grade Conversion