1978 - Needle Point-The Gully of Murk, Cleaning Klahanie Crack, Bugaboo and Pigeon Spire

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Needle Point (Blanchard Peak) - The Gully of Murk
Location of Needle Point (Blanchard Peak)
Proper names for the various peaks of Mt. Blanchard

Climbing the gulley.

Again, I do not know who came up with the idea, but a group of us thought we should tackle the west face of Needle Point (Blanchard's Needle). This time we ascended the gully between Battery Mountain and Needle to gain the col.
In this picture you can see Chuck McCafferty closest to the camera making his way up through the mist. The gully was fairly steep, but not steep enough to rope up. It was a number of springs later that Chris Cooper and friend skied down this gully. Now that would have been "interesting"!

Our bivouac site between Blanchard Peak and Alouette Mt.

When we got up to the top of the gully it was still very misty, and I thought it was almost raining. The others had intentions to continue down to the base of the west face of Needle, but my enthusiasm had evaporated and decided to bivouac on the col. I had a nylon tarp and a bivouac sac so I knew I could spend a comfortable night. I said my "good-byes and "good lucks" to the others as they descended into the murk on the west side of the col. I felt glad that I was not going to spend a damp night on some forsaken ledge part way up the west face of Needle. It was just too cool and damp for me to want to go down with the others.
Between a half hour or hour later, I heard strange sounds coming from down on the west side of the col. Guess what? The others had come to their senses! In the picture above Garvin Morris stands beside the tarp where we spent the night.

First pitch crux.

The next morning, most of the group went up Needle by the regular route. 
In the picture to the left Chris rappels down the first pitch, the only really steep bit of climbing on the route.
Oh yes, do you notice that it is still misty? It never did clear up that trip.
The "Gully of Murk" is still referred to by old time Lobsters with a variety of memories.


Cleaning Klahanie Crack - Shannon Falls - Squamish
Location of Shannon Falls

A lot of moss and dirt!

Klahanie Crack was one of a number of cracks we either cleaned out or helped to clean out. We usually aided it from below if we couldn't rapell down it to clean it. Rock hammer and wire brush in hand, we gladly worked away, becoming filthy in the process. In this case, we cleaned up to the tree. We didn't climb to the top free, but we had fun trying.
I think this picture is of Ken Willis making good use of his alpine hammer and a wire brush
This area is just right of Shannon Falls, just south of Squamish.


Bugaboo & Pigeon Spire - Bugaboo Provincial Park - Purcell Mountains
Location of the Bugaboos

Approaching the snow slope leading up to the Snowpatch - Bugaboo col.

Chuck McCafferty, Chris Cooper, and I drove the winding gravel road into the trail head for the Bugaboos in mid summer to be met by the usual hordes of black flies in the parking lot. We quickly packed up and headed up to the hut. We must have looked tired because we were quickly offered left over suppers at the hut. A very nice introduction to the Bugaboos!
Our first goal was doing the regular route on Bugaboo Spire. The picture to the left shows the approach to the bottom of the snow slope that goes up to the Bugaboo - Snowpatch col. You The peak to the right is Bugaboo and the ridge leading up to it is the regular route. Most of it is an easy scramble untill you get to the last quarter of the ridge. There the climbing begins. The gendarme is in the area of the light coloured rock just to the left of what appears to be the summit.
The huge walls on the left of the picture are part of Snow Patch Spire.



I got up to the base of the gendarme (see picture) and ran out of gas, or perhaps I was intimidated. I knew I was tired and my confidence in doing well was not there. I thought it was better for me to let Chris and Chuck go ahead.
In the picture here, Chris is belaying in the lower right hand corner, and Chuck has just finished the crux made so famous by the first person to climb Bugaboo, Conrad Kain. You can see Chuck just below the top of the gendarme.
I wondered how Conrad Kain had felt doing the same thing on the first ascent, but with virtually no protection. (I didn't realize it then, but Chuck and I were to climb the spectacular NE ridge to the summit some years later.)



After Bugaboo we went back to the Conrad Kain hut and spent the night. The next morning we headed for the west ridge of Pigeon Spire.

Keith and Chuck at the Snowpatch - Bugaboo col

The next day we set out for Pigeon Spire. Now Pigeon Spire is not that difficult by its regular route, but is a wonderful climb and has an exciting ridge walk and a very aesthetic summit. You can actually sit on the summit block and look down through a crack and see the glacier below!