Travel advice to the bugaboos

So a friend and I hope to travel to the bugaboos this summer. Looks as though the best way to get there is to fly (live in Colorado) but it seems like you'd pretty much have to rent a car to get there based in the remoteness. Would it be do able to bus from Calgary to the nearest town and hitch or would the possibility of getting a ride be slim out there? Any tips for the area would be appreciated 

Rent

All depends on how much time you have. Driving up and letting your car sit for days in the lot may be cheeper than a flight+Rental car from YYC. But, if you do fly, rent a car and just make sure you wrap the hell out of whatever you drive once you get there. 

Don't know if this is this is still the case, but the last few times I flew to Calgary you could save a lot on car rentals if you picked it up from an off-airport location. You'd have to pay for an Uber or downtown shuttle bus to get there, but they didn't mind if it was returned at the airport.

You could also look into flying to Spokane, WA. That might be cheaper than flying to YYC. But lately the cost of renting a car there has been astronomical.

If you are planning on renting a car in Calgary, you may want to make a rental reservation well in advance and see if you can actually get a vehicle. According to the story I’m linking to below, Canadian car rental companies have vehicle shortages related to the pandemic.

Hoping to rent a car this summer? Good luck | CBC News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/car-rental-summer-2022-1.6456587

Many years ago I took greyhound to radium hot springs and then hitchhiked into the bugs. 

Graham Johnson wrote:

Many years ago I took greyhound to radium hot springs and then hitchhiked into the bugs. 

Unfortunately Greyhound Canada shut down permanently about a year ago.

FWIW, I've been twice before and going again this summer. Once I flew in and rented a car from YYC (pre pandemic), the other we drove from Salt Lake City. Based on my location and the math I did a long time ago (not adjusted for post-pandemic gas/airfare/rental car prices), it ended up being about 4-5 hours faster to fly there, but it cost about $1000 more and required way more packing logistics, which made driving there the obvious option. This time around we are also driving, and we will also have four people which makes it even more affordable to drive.

Another factor to consider is that if you rent a car, you're paying to drive it a few hours and let it sit for several days, but still paying for all those days. If you drive from CO, you also have a lot more flexibility to leave early in the case of injury or adverse weather, which you won't have if booking flights to/from YYC.

And as I finish my comment I realize I didn't really address your question haha. Regarding hitchhiking or getting a ride, I think that would be difficult to coordinate, and could ruin your plans if you can't find a way up to the Bugs.

Hope that all helps somehow. Feel free to reach out if you have other questions

Miguel D wrote:

...Based on my location and the math I did a long time ago (not adjusted for post-pandemic gas/airfare/rental car prices), it ended up being about 4-5 hours faster to fly there, but it cost about $1000 more and required way more packing logistics, which made driving there the obvious option... 

Another reason to drive instead of fly: the US still requires international air travelers to take a pre-departure COVID test, even if you're a returning US resident and fully vaccinated. But not if you enter at a land border crossing. Go figure.

Yeah you probably could hitch a ride but you may end up spending days sitting around radium or Banf or something waiting.  You'll have to find a person going there to climb because it is way the hell off of the main road. If I remember its like 50 Km and takes at least and hour.  With the price of Rentals I'd probably just drive up from Co. You could do it in two days no problem. Maybe there is a guide service taht offers charters to get you in there? 

Make sure you put up a good porcupine fence though!  

You could book a night at the Bugaboo Lodge for about $1000/night, which I think includes transportation to and from Radium or Invermere. You might be able to delay the return trip out until you finish climbing. I’m not completely serious when I suggest this, but it could be an option. Call CMH and see.

https://www.cmhsummer.com/bugaboos/

Terry E wrote:

You could book a night at the Bugaboo Lodge for about $1000/night, which I think includes transportation to and from Radium or Invermere. You might be able to delay the return trip out until you finish climbing. I’m not completely serious when I suggest this, but it could be an option. Call CMH and see.

https://www.cmhsummer.com/bugaboos/

To be fair if you're spending lik a week or more there that cost may be less than a rental car. 

Michael Spiesbach wrote:

To be fair if you're spending lik a week or more there that cost may be less than a rental car. 

Exactly. It’s only the last leg though and you still need to get from Calgary to wherever CMH picks you up.

Terry E wrote:

Exactly. It’s only the last leg though and you still need to get from Calgary to wherever CMH picks you up.

I think it's Banf.. which I'm 100% sure you could get to on bus.. Plus it's a helicopter ride.. so that's pretty cool and and flying over the Purcell's in a chopper seems legit. 

There is for sure a local shuttle from Calgary airport to Canmore and then Banff.