On July 31st at 7am, Meaghan and I met at AAI's office in Bellingham and soon began the long drive north to the Bugaboos. Having both climbed the West Buttress of Denali last year, we were looking forward to another adventure together in a jaw-dropping setting. This year, Meaghan (affectionately known as 'Mega', in honor of her indomitable strength and determination) also completed Part 2 of AAI's Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership Course, and so was hoping to round out her rock climbing experience. The legendary granite spires of the "Bugs" seemed just the ticket.

After a full day's drive and a pleasant overnight stay at a small Swiss motel, our first crux was negotiating the extremely long and bone-jarring forest roads that access the range. Many a climbers' trip has ended here, but my trusty Toyota truck made quick work of this obstacle and we arrived in good style.

Next came the obligatory 'wrap your truck with chicken wire'. For years, porcupines and other critters have plagued climbers and their vehicles, necessitating this ritualistic, bizarre activity. Thankfully there were enough rocks, sticks, and wire to go around. With the truck and its cables, wires, and hoses seemingly protected from small teeth, we were off and hiking.

The short but steep hike took us four hours, and we found ourselves traveling up the Bugaboo glacial valley, over old moraines, and cutting a devious path through cliffy terrain that is often laced with fixed cables, steps cut into the rock, and even an aluminum ladder. Tibetan prayer flags hung in the trees at the base of the ladder, reminding us that climbing a ladder up a cliff with sixty pounds on your back is not something to be taken lightly.

Soon we arrrved at the Kain Hut, named in honor of Canada's finest guide, Conrad Kain. This wonderful hut sits atop a promontory at the base of Snowpatch Spire, overlooking the Bugaboo Glacier Peaks. We checked in with the warden and continued on to the traditional climber's camp, one hour away and at 8,137 feet.

Shortly after setting up camp, we were met with a brief storm that dashed our plans to get any climbing in that first afternoon. Without a doubt, it was some of the most violent wind and rain I have ever experienced. I found myself inside my tent, back bracing the poles, listening to the laughter and astonishment of our campmates as each gust threatened to blow us all away. Meaghan later said it reminded her of the wind in Patagonia, often called "La Escoba de Dios" (the Broom of God). Thankfully, the weather blew through by mid-evening and we caught a few hours of sleep before embarking on our first mission - Bugaboo Spire.

Bugaboo Spire (10,512') was first climbed in 1916 by Conrad Kain. At the time it was one of the most demanding climbs in the world. Kain's guided ascent of the South Ridge (now rated AD 5.6), completed in 17.5 hours valley to valley, is the stuff of legend - as is his mastery of the infamous Gendarme high on the route.

We left camp at 5 AM and were soon across the Crescent Glacier and ascending to the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col. We would become very familiar with this steep snow and ice face over the coming week as many climbs and approaches start and finish at this spot. Split with a bergshrund at half-height, by mid-season rappels are often needed to safely descend from the col. We found conditions this year to be casual, no match for Meaghan's prowess on steep snowy ground.

The intial section of the Kain Route (South Ridge) is scrambly, fourth-class rock. Above this the exposure increases dramatically and we began climbing short pitches. Chimneys, steep blocky sections, and spectacular knife-edge ridges brought us higher and higher and the wild Bugaboo environment soon began to reveal itself. We were honored to have our first route be this one. Meaghan kept yelling - as she did all week - that this was the most "out of control place" she had ever been. Indeed, the views were amazing.

Meanwhile, the previous day's weather seemed to be returning and ominous clouds hung over the Howser Towers to our west. Confident that the forecast for a week of high pressure would prove true, we committed to the crux gendarme pitches. Steep, thin cracks shot up the tower until an incredibly exposed traverse was before us. I paused to savor the position and called down to Meaghan with advice. I remembered reading about Kain's experience at this very spot. He wrote: "Near the top I was stuck for a few minutes, the edge being smooth and without holds of any kind. I applied the vacuum grip and pulled myself up and over." Conrad definitely had the moves! Applying her 'vacuum grip' Meaghan pulled the crux with no problem and in two more pitches we were both on top after six hours from camp.

The descent went smoothly, six or seven rappels and a lot of belayed down-climbing brought us to more moderate ground, where we traveled to and down the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col.

The following day we chose to mix it up a bit and shoot for a glaciated snow and ice climb. Descending below the Kain Hut, we traversed the base of Snowpatch Spire and climbed onto the Bugaboo Glacier, intent on a traverse of the Pigeon Feathers. The Pigeon Feathers are a series of peaks at the head of the cirque. They come highly recommended and are considered a classic in the area. Meaghan led us up the broken glacier, across a series of 'shrunds and up the initial section which reached sixty degrees.

Once on the ridge of the first Feather we climbed classic steep snow and ice, in and out of great rock, and finally onto a pristine knife-edge snow arete. The position was un-matched and we were both giddy with excitement, thinking it was the coolest thing we had done in years. The massive west side of the Howser Towers dominated the view in front of us. The ridge wound up and down over a number of summits and at one point we chose to climb through a natural "tunnel" between the snow arete and the rock. At the top of the last Feather, I belayed Meaghan down a full rope length and she kicked me great steps. Soloing down, I knew everyone across the glacier on the West Ridge of Pigeon Spire (10,355') was getting a good show! Next we went back into glacier travel mode and climbed to the base of Pigeon, down the upper Vowell Glacier, and descended the Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col back to camp. We had circumnavigated Snowpatch Spire, and in all it had been a super-fun day!

By this point we were in the midst of incredibly clear weather, often a novelty in the Bugaboos. Day five brought us back to the West Ridge of Pigeon, a climb which has graced the cover of numerous magazines and catalogs and which is considered by many to be the best 5.4 alpine rock climb on the planet. The crowds, which came with the weather, drove us out of camp early and we soon found ourselves in a bitter-cold wind with Meaghan leading the initial section of the climb. Instead of continuing, we chose to descend back to more sheltered, sunny terrain and wait for the day to warm.

An hour or so later the wind died and we were back on route with some friends from Bellingham nipping at our heels. The only thing that can be said about the West Ridge of Pigeon is that you need to go climb it to believe it. It's uniqueness, exposure, and amazingly solid granite is unmatched. It was perfect alpine rock climbing training ground for Meaghan. We summited in good style, teamed up with our friends for the summit rappels, and down-climbed onto the upper Vowell Glacier.

Day six presented us with four choices: McTech Arete on Crescent Spire (a 5.10- straight rock climb), The Ears Between on Crescent Tower (5.8), the Buckingham Route on Snowpatch Spire (5.8), or the East Ridge of the Marmolata (5.6). Meaghan and I decided on the Buckingham, thinking it would be a good intro into harder, muti-pitch alpine rock. It would also give us a chance to summit the three main spires in the area. Morning came however and I caught wind that there were at least four other parties intent on the climb. Being as the climb was west-facing, a late start was a must to avoid the cold, and it seemed clear that all the parties would get bogged down. We quickly switched gears and opted for the Marmolata. Both of us had been eyeing this unique, lesser-climbed peak all week as it dominated the skyline above the Bugaboo Glacier. It appeared to be a mixed snow, ice, and rock climb, and this suited Meaghan's objectives very well.

Crossing a new section of the Bugaboo Glacier, we were challenged to find a safe passage over the Marmolata's gapping bergshrund. I led up a little snow finger, did a few mixed moves, and belayed Meaghan up. We traversed easily across a ramp and simul-climbed steep snow and ice above the 'shrund to a small notch at the base of the East Ridge. From here we climbed along the top of another steep ice face, placing rock protection and easily climbing in and out of a moat until we regained the ridge. From this point the rock steepened and became quite loose. Both of us had close calls with huge shifting blocks and it became un-nerving, especially in contrast to the solid nature of our previous climbs.

Not finding a suitable passage around the loose rock, we opted to retrace our ascent and tag the nearby summit of the Hound's Tooth, a peak adjacent to the Marmolata. It was also loose, but was significantly less exposed and much more manageable. We down-climbed from the summit, then rappeled safely over the 'shrund and down the initial snow finger we had climbed earlier in the day. All and all the day was a good one, and we got in some unique and fun mixed climbing.

Day seven brought sore and stiff legs (at least for me) and sunburned noses. The general motivation in camp seemed to be waning as most parties that go into the Bugaboos plan on getting a few rest days due to bad weather. No such luck this week! Our schedule was to hike out later that afternoon, so we slept in and woke to a mellow morning and countless cups of coffee. We planned to do one more climb before hiking out.

For our last outing, we climbed Eastpost Spire, the large feature jutting immediately above our camp. We reached the summit easily and in good time. The last bit was a fun, exposed face with juggy holds. The views from Eastpost were classic and we gained a better sense of just how complex and compact our section of the Bugaboos was. So many other nooks and crannies to explore! So many routes!

The hike out was hot and uneventful and our smiling, burnt faces past other smiling, less-burnt faces on their way in. It turned out my truck had survived the onslaught of porcupines, and we headed home feeling psyched and rewarded.

On the drive back to Bellingham, it didn't take long before we were already scheming about our next adventure together. The West Ridge of Alaska's Mount Hunter may just be looming on next year's horizon...

Meaghan signed up for this trip into the Bugaboos as Part 3 of AAI's three-part Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership program. We would like to extend our congratulations to Meaghan for successfully completing all three parts (12 days each) of this comprehensive course!