Bugaboos conditions August 2024

Hello international experts! I’m new to climbing in Canada and have done some research, but have also learned that year to year conditions in mountain environments can be super fickle so trying to crowdsource some info as I’m planning a trip.

I heard that the snow conditions and glacier travel become less ideal as the summer goes on. I have read that mid August is usually the best time. With a drier winter this year, do you think August will still be a good time to climb? I’m concerned about passes getting icy, crevasse danger, rockfall hazard, and moats beneath climbs.

Any and all advice is appreciated! Especially from those who have climbed in the bugaboos before, or are planning on climbing there this season. Also open to hearing any other general advice for climbing there. Thanks in advance!

Still curious

Yo! I just did my first trip to the Bugs last summer. I went in Mid-July 2023 and the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col was already melted out at that time. Definitely added 4-6 hours onto each day to climb some of the routes that utilize the col for access and descending. If you wanna climb Bugaboo Spire you end up having to descend thru 4 more rappels and then walk all the way around Snowpatch and back up to the Applebee camp. Routes like the Becky Chouinard are pretty unaffected, you may have a little more complex glacial travel but overall pretty similar approaches. I haven't really tracked snowfall for this year vs last year but just something to think about. You might get better temps mid August? I'm sure as the summer get's going you'll see lots of conditions posts on this page, just still a little early. Also the park service removed all of the chicken wire from the Trailhead last spring. We just hoped for the best without it and it ended up being fine, but you'd want to bring your own if you felt inclined. 

Colton thank you for all the helpful information. Are those rappels all from fixed anchors? How did the col being melted out add 4-6hrs of travel? Over crevasses and moats? Did you experience or feel there was any greater rockfall hazard?

Yes I hope to see some more information from parties as we get into summer. I’ll post again here to bring some more attention around then.

How did the col being melted out add 4-6hrs of travel? Over crevasses and moats? Did you experience or feel there was any greater rockfall hazard?

Yes I hope to see some more information from parties as we get into summer. I’ll post again here to bring some more attention around then.

Once the BS col is melted out it's a no-go zone, due to rockfall hazard. You have to take a much longer route that goes around the other side of Snowpatch Spire. Maybe this picture will help.

For more information, see https://gripped.com/news/safer-approaches-to-bugaboo-rock-climbs/.

Snowpack in the area isn't quite as dire as it was a few weeks ago, but as of March 1 the Upper Columbia and W Kootenay basins were reporting 70% of median. See https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/air-land-water/water/river-forecast/2024_mar1.pdf.

Super helpful! Thank you Martin

Yes those rappels are fixed, bolted and bomber. Pretty obvious and straightforward.

 We went around to the backside of Pigeon and romped the ridge of that, then wrapped around and did Surfs Up on the Snowpatch Spire, then used those icefall rappels to get back to camp. Was a really cool linkup, highly recommended. Then we climbed the NE ridge of Bubagoo Spire and had to wrap around and use those same rappels again to get back to camp.