Mt Hood Summit

As if you needed another reason to c;limb Mt Hood, here are a few more. I always tell folks that Mt Hood is my favorite summit. Its incredible, climbing from above the Queens Chair, you traverse North to South along the Eastern Rim. It feels epic, it is epic.

Summit view looking north as sunrise and the sun make the perfect mountain shadow

Looking South, the cloud patterns hint at the windplay at play

Climbers approaching the summit

The Eastern Rim can sometimes make for an airy exit onto the summit

 

Bugaboos 2006

The Bugaboos in BC Canada between Cranbrook and Golden, truly an alpine experience to treasure and remember.  After just one visit, you will want to return on a yearly basis, alas as the date shows , I have not been there since 2006.  Many climbers will tell you of how they spent their entire time here in a tent, saturated from the constant rain, we were very fortunate and had four wonderful day of sunny climbing.

A 50 Classic, The NE Ridgeof Bugaboo Spire, IV 5.7 Awesome, route climbs the right ridge and traverses the spire before descending South Ridge sometimes called the Kain route

East Face, Snowpatch Spire,

West Face Snowpatch Spire, with the Vowell glacier

The famous col between Snowpatch and Bugaboo.  Its the rapel route at the end of the day for many climbs and also the entrance to the Vowel glacier, Pigeon Spire and Howser towers

Snowpatch, and Pigeon in the background, Crescent glacier in the foreground

Add a few climbers to the photo )

Pigeon Spire, the most fun 5,4 Alpine climb ever, classic glacier approach, airy alpine climbing. Heavily crevassed start to the Vowell glacier, Lets do that part in the daylight please !!

Closer look at Pigeon Spire, the west ridge is on the right skyline, the Howser towers is on the far right

Howser Cirque

Getting a closer look at the Kruse- MacCarthy route On Snowpatch Spire

High on the MacCarthy route

Looking at our descent route off Bugaboo Spire, the South Ridge and the summit traverse 🙂

Sun sets on a climbing day

A cold early start for Bugaboo Spire

Getting closer to the start of the climb, looks classically steep

View from Pitch One, we are relaxing as other climbers get first dibs on the route, They later sent us some photos

Classic finger crack

“Where to go?”, me in the orange helmet checking out the topo!!

The answer is “Up there”

Incredible view of Snowpatch

Inspiring as we look to trace out climbing lines for our next visit!!

Close to the summit, this can be the crux of the climb, deciding which way to access the South Ridge descent.

Getting ready to rapel.

Last rapel of the day, the exit off the Crescent Col

Another day in the vertical world

Incredible views

Looking North West

 

Rock and Snow everywhere

Mc Tech Arete

Mc Tech Arete, thin finger crack

The butt smear, Joe in classic rest position

Climb time

Reuben loving the granite friction

Reuben on belay duty, Bugaboo Spire in the background, its an amazing experience to climb next to the NE Ridge, knowing that you had been there the day before, the position and reflection makes for a special day

Today is a nice short day climbing Mc Teach Arete, III 5.10a

Reuben having fun

Looking down, happy to be on the summit