Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park is a magical place and is one of our favourite spots in the world. Its granite spires are the perfect playground for alpine climbers. In addition to the amazing climbs, the area is unbelievably beautiful. Tall, dark granite spires rise high out of fields of white glaciers. It’s a spectacular scene. The really special part is that they’re kept hidden behind the front range of the Purcell Mountains and can’t be fully admired until you’ve hiked for over an hour.
Prospectors exploring the area in the early 1900s gave it the name Bugaboo which means a ‘dead-end’. They had expected to find an area rich in minerals, but instead it lacked any mining prospects. It’s good for us because the area was left in its pristine state.
Getting to the park involves a long drive on a rough gravel road and a hike that includes chains and ladders. The effort of getting there however, only adds to its magic.
We’ve been to the Bugaboos over a dozen times and are still stunned by our first glimpse of Houndstooth Spire above a field of alpine flowers. It is a breathtaking surprise.
The Bugs are known for long, trad-style climbing on sheer granite walls. Below is a collection of the climbs and hikes we’ve done in the Bugaboos over the years.
Bugaboo Spire
This large granite massif towers high above with Crescent Glacier on one side and Vowell Glacier on other. We love how the mountain looks completely different from varying angles. It has two popular climbing routes, Kain Route and NE Ridge. The first ascent in the Bugaboos was on the Kain Route in 1916 by legendary Austrian guide Conrad Kain. Because of the difficulty of the Gendarme section, it was considered the most difficult climb in the world. Today it is a classic and on the ‘must-do’ list of many climbers who come to the park.
Snowpatch Spire
With a commanding presence in the middle of the park, this large impressive spire has a small patch (5 acres) of snow on its face. It’s seen looming overhead of Applebee Campground and dominates the scene. The Snowpatch Route is considered a classic climb. The route takes you right beside the snowpatch on the way to the summit. It is a very long climb with 18 or 19 full rope length pitches so we began our ascent early in the morning and saw the sunrise alpenglow all around us on the mountain.
One year when we were in the park, Sender Films of Reel Rock Film Tour were filming the documentary ‘Boys in the Bugs‘, about the famous Canadian climber Will Stanhope. He was attempting a first ascent of a thin crack on the mountain’s face. We watched their slow progress from our tent. We even volunteered to help by carrying a load of their gear.
Note: In December 2022 a large flake fell off the front of Snowpatch Spire affecting and other neighbouring routes. It should not affect The Snowpatch Route as described above.
Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col
To access many of the climbs the best approach is through the steep Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col. The pass separates Crescent Glacier from Vowell Glacier so getting to many climbs involves glacier traversing. Unfortunately, this pass is not safe every year. Depending on conditions, rockfall or a large, open bergschrund make crossing it dangerous. On these years, the approach for many climbs is hours longer because you have to walk around Snowpatch Spire. The photos below are taken on different years and you can see the change in conditions of the pass.
Pigeon Spire
Located on the other side of Vowell Glacier, the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire is a very popular climb and often the first climb people do in the Bugs. It’s considered to be the best low grade 5 climb in the world because of both the solid rock for climbing and the spectacular scenery. The approach involves crossing the sketchy Bugaboo-Snowpatch col and then the long Vowell Glacier to reach the start of the climb. In the pictures below, look for the very small people crossing the glacier. It gives you a sense of the scale of these mammoths.
Another great climb on Pigeon is the North East Ridge/Miller Shepard traverse. It begins near the ‘Tail Feathers’, climbs to the summit and descends down the West Ridge. It’s a very long day, but offers incredible views.
Howser Towers
We haven’t climbed anything on this massive spire but have admired it from many angles.
Crescent Towers
With a view of its Donkey’s Ears from our tent, Crescent Towers is always one of our favourites. The mountain is a chain of broken peaks separated into different towers giving it a rugged look. One of its climbs is Lion’s Way. It’s one of the easiest climbs in the Bugaboos and is often busy with a few parties climbing it every day. The final move to the summit makes for a good picture and the small flat summit is a great place to rest and enjoy the view.
Another fun climb on Crescent Towers is Ear’s Between. It climbs between the two towers that make up the Donkey’s Ears.
Eastpost Spire
Located above Applebee Campground, Eastpost Spire Ridge offers dramatic views of the entire Bugaboo Park. The long ridge allows you to see the park from different angles.
Hikes in the Bugabooos
Applebee Campground
Even if you don’t climb, hiking to Applebee Campground is worth it for the amazing scenery. The hike goes up a steep moraine, slowly revealing the impressive spires. Once on top of the moraine, the flat campground is surrounded by Snowpatch, Bugaboo, Crescent and Eastpost Spires. It’s one of the most beautiful campsites we’ve ever seen.
Cobalt Lake
A nice day hike from the Bugaboo parking lot or a more involved route over the Brenta-Cobalt Lake Spire Col takes you to this lovely spot. A small, blue mountain tarn hides in a tight cirque created by Brenta and Cobalt Lakes Spires. The descent to the lake can be tricky as the path is often snow or ice covered.
Vowell Glacier
One year we hiked on the Vowell Glacier around Bugaboo and the Eastern Spires to Cobalt Lake. We saw an even more rugged side to this amazing area. The glacier is highly crevassed so we would only recommend this route to experienced alpinists.
About the climbs
There are hundreds of climbs in the park, most are accessible from the hut or campgrounds. Many of them involve glacier traversing which, depending on the year, can be complicated. This area deserves respect and climbs should only be attempted by experienced parties. Those without experience should use a certified guide. Even though the climbs are graded, everything in the Bugs is bigger. Climbs are longer and more difficult than you expect by their grades. Skills at route finding and topo map reading are a must as most climbs have no markings. The climbs are trad-style meaning that there are very few bolts or pitons. Climbers need to use removable protective equipment such as cams and nuts. This adds an element of danger to the climbs.
There is no cell phone coverage in the park or on the long gravel approach road. Climbers and hikers must be prepared to take care of themselves in emergencies. Satellite safety signals can contact rescue helicopters, but their availability is weather dependent.
Books with detailed information on this area are available and necessary to do any of the climbs. We use The Bugaboos by Chris Atkinson & Marc Piche; Bugaboo Rock, A Climber’s Guide by Randall Green & Joe Benson.
Where to stay
Alpine Club of Canada operates the Conrad Kain Hut (2230 m) as well as 2 campsites that are only accessed by foot. The hut sleeps 35 people on long rows of mattresses. There are stoves, pots, dishes etc, but you must bring your own food. (4.6 km, 700 m gain from the parking lot)
Applebee Campground (2480 m) is another one-hour hike above the hut, but its worth it for the views and the lack of being elbow–to–elbow with the other hut occupants. We believe it’s one of the nicest campsites anywhere in the world. (5.6 km, 930 m elevation gain from the parking lot)
Depending on what you are climbing, it may be better to stay at Boulder Campground, (2170 m) 10 minutes below the hut. Snowpatch Spire is more easily accessed from the hut or Boulder Campground.
Reservations are not required, but the hut can get very busy so booking ahead through the Alpine Club is recommended. You cannot reserve a tent site, but you can pre-pay on-line. Note that for 2020, the hut policies have changed so go to their website for current information.
Access
Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park is located 340 km west of Calgary, Alberta but will take close to 5 hours to drive as the last 46 km are on a gravel road, and the final 3 -5 km are very rough. High clearance 4WD vehicles are recommended. The parking lot usually has a supply of chicken wire to protect your car from porcupines who will eat the rubber off your car such as brake lines. Details on the drive are available in the books listed above.
For other climbs near read Best Moderate, Multi-Pitch Climbs Near Calgary.
Coming Next: Hiking to Mount Assiniboine, Matterhorn of the Rockies
For extra pictures from Canada click here. For pictures from other blogs go to Gallery at monkeystale.ca
To read about more of our adventures go to Destinations.
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Monkey's Tale 
These are some spectacular views. Amazing and equally interesting trek with such views all around.
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Thanks, yes it’s an incredible area that we’re lucky to be able to get to.
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Can I just say how adorable is the name Bugaboo Glacier Provincial Park? The scenery looks unbelievable. I like that it’s even such an adventure to get to the park.
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Yes, keeping access difficult definitely leaves the park in a wild and pristine condition. Its funny that to miners Bugaboo is a dead end, but to us it’s the most wonderful place!
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Wow, what a breathtaking and unspoiled scenery 😊. Canadiens are very lucky to be near beautiful nature.
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Yes, Bugaboos are incredible and we are very fortunate to have it so close.
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A wonderful post! Just as I thought “wow”, I’d see the next pic and “wow” louder!!! Absolutely stunning scenery. Truly breathtaking and a range I was unfamiliar with. Sounds like real climbing territory too! Thanks for a great share!!!
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Thanks Colin, that’s exactly how we feel when we’re there! Wow at every turn.
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Yes, I can imagine. Jaw dropping vistas at every turn! 🙂
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So much beautiful scenery right on our own doorstep. Always enjoyed the name Bugaboos, but will never get there myself. Thanks for taking me there. Looking forward to your Sunshine to Assiniboine post, as I did most of that hike in July 2019. Still great memories. Hope all is well. Allan
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Yes, it’s not a bad place to be stuck is it! Bugaboos is a real gem, although Assiniboine was incredible too! So much to chose from!
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Stunning!
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Thank you, it is an amazing place.
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Wow, an amazing post! The scenery is breathtaking, but the porcupines? Really?
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Haha, yes and you reminded me that I forgot to include the porcupine picture, although it was on the trail not at the parking lot! These are the backroads in the west!
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Thanks for sharing these photos taken in full effort and congratulations on reaching the tops; I enjoy so much these huge sceneries, it’s a breath of fresh air.
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You’re welcome, the Bugaboos are so impressive, we’re glad we can share it with everyone! Thanks for reading!
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Incredible beauty. Just breathtakingly beautiful!
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Thanks, the mountain scenery here is incredible and we’re so glad we can access it.
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Breathtakingly beautiful, as always! You people are an inspiration! Mel
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Thanks Mel, it’s our backyard so we’re lucky we have all of these views so close.
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That is some backyard!!
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Literally every time I read a post of yours, I add something new to my to-do list. Mountains will forever be my #1 preferred destination, and you seem to be the same. Truly some incredible adventures you’ve had!
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Exactly! We spend all of our free time in the mountains. Even on international trips we seek out countries with climbing, hiking or skiing. We’ve actually never done any hiking in Colorado, but maybe when the borders open up.
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I have no doubt you’d love it! It’s no Canadian Rockies or S America, but we do still have some pretty cool mountains!
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Claudio and his gF made it to cobalt lake this summer on their road trip from Vancouver to Halifax. They said it was all the effort. i know you tow insist this is one of the best spots worldwide!!! and under 400k from home. Definitely in my to do list. Can you camp in a trailer camper (boler is ready) in the parking lot?
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Great glad they liked it Applebee is actually our favourite campground but Colblt is gorgeous too. I don’t know if the Boler could make it down the last 4 km of gravel road. And if not you’d have to walk it. People often sleep in their cars in the parking lot. It’s not monitored. There’s camping in Golden!!! Look up Cedar Lake near Golden. Kristin can bring her bike!
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I was so happy to get to the sentence “Even if you don’t climb…” I had heard about the Bugaboos but until now didn’t know anything about them. Incredible! I can see a trip to Applebee campground in my future. Your photos are amazing. That view from Snow Patch Spire, Wow!
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It’s one of the most spectacular places and Applebee campground is unbelievable. It has a very short window to visit and to us sometimes feels busy but not in comparison to other parts of the world and the area is so large, you rarely see anyone else all day. I’ll give you more info when you want, your access is either Radium or Golden as the turn off is about half way between them. Beautiful British Columbia 😊
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Thanks Maggie. I suspect it will have to wait until next year, but will definitely get the intel from you. Next week we’ve got a little trip to Wells Grey PP planned…easy hiking and waterfall viewing. Hopefully this nice weather will last a little longer. Happy Labour Day weekend!
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Oh I’ve been reading more and more about Wells Grey. I look forward to your post from you trip!!
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Wow! Where to start? First, gorgeous photos, as always. I could stare at them all day. Second, I didn’t realize you guys were rock climbers, but I’m not even a little surprised. You guys are such adventurers. Third, just last night I stumbled upon a Netflix documentary called “Mountain.” (Or maybe it was “Mountains.” I can’t remember.) It’s less a documentary and more a work of art. Willem Dafoe narrates, but only minimally compared to traditional documentaries. Have you seen it? From one mountain-lover to another – I highly recommend it.
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I haven’t seen that documentary but I’ll look for it tonight. Thanks for the tip 😊It was actually difficult to fit the pictures to the right size for the blog because the area has 360 views and we didn’t like cutting parts out! We have hardly climbed since coming back from Asia. It’s one of those sports that you have to do often to get good. After a 2 year break we lost a lot of our nerve! I hope we get back to it though, but now we’re into mountain biking, but I prefer to climb. Happy weekend!
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hats off to you guys that is some SERIOUS rock climbing you’ve done. And those bears!!!!!
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Thanks Andy, the bears were the least of our concerns!
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Wow those are some impressive mountains! The sheer granite sides are something else! Such gorgeous photos with the wildflowers and the lakes. Interesting about the porcupines and the use of chicken wire…hehe
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Thanks Linda, it’s not far from Radium so you were pretty close to the Bugaboos. I’m always afraid that we won’t put enough wire or hold it down with enough rocks. Those pesky porcupines!
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Amazing photo’s again!
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Thank you!!
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What a beautiful place. So nice to see your smiling faces. Brings back great memories of our time together. I keep seeing these posts and assume they’re in real time — no sheltering in place amid COVID for you! I wouldn’t expect anything less. Enjoy and stay safe!
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Good to hear from you Diane! Our posts now are a mix of real time and previous hikes. Bugaboos was all old trips unfortunately. We’re allowed to go hiking here in the mountain parks so we’ve been out for a few. Even though the campgrounds are more crowded than usual we’re still far away from everyone. I’m surprised too how people step far off the hiking trail when another group approaches. It’s better than some are in the grocery store! How have you been? Is your lab involved in covid testing? Stay safe.
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Wow look at you guys scaling those stunningly beautiful granite spires! I had no idea you are proper mountaineers, hats off to you! I bet the views outweigh the physical challenge required to make it to the top. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 😀 I look forward to your next post 😊
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haha, well, when in Rome… We love the physical challenge and the views, sometimes I’m not sure which we like more. Glad you enjoyed! Maggie
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I give you a like and like your effort for your posts. but there is too much text for me. I have poor eyesight despite reading glasses. i need a magnifying glass for this text. sorry, but an interesting blog.
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Thanks, you can look at the pictures then 🙂
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