[MCR] Bugaboos

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

This week we changed plans from going to the Clemenceau area and went  
to the Bugaboos instead. We're glad we did, conditions were perfect.  
We climbed Pigeon, Lion's Way, Bugaboo (Kain), Eastpost, traversed  
Anniversary/Rock Ridge Peaks  and did a Crescent Spire traverse this  
morning. ~100 climbers in the area meant that everything was getting  
climbed every day.

Things are still snowy and crampons are being used on the traverse  
ledge on Pigeon. However, snow conditions are firm and travel to the  
BS col and on the glaciers is excellent. The warm temperatures mean  
that more crevasses are opening every day. The Pigeon fork of the  
Bugaboo Glacier is especially showing a lot of holes. Bergschrunds in  
the Sextet, Marmolada, Pigeon Feather and Howser Towers zones are  
large and difficult to bypass. We also noticed several large  
bergschrund collapses that spilled debris well down onto the glaciers  
below and there was a large cornice fall onto the east face of the N  
Howser yesterday.

Other than crevasses/bergschrunds the primary hazard was other  
climbers above, climbers below us without helmets on, simul-climbers  
passing multiple parties on easy routes, and traffic jams at  
constrictions such as the gendarme on Bugaboo. Hard to avoid even  
with the early starts we were doing but not that big a deal as long  
as there was a little communication between parties.

Overall a great week of climbing!

Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide


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