Spear Spire, Northeast Face, and East Peak, East Ridge, Vowell ...
Other Canadian Ranges
Spear Spire, Northeast Face, and East Peak, East Ridge, Vowell Group, Purcells. On July 7 James Hebert, Robert Kruszyna and I made the first ascent of the northeast face of Spear Spire, climbing a couloir which runs diagonally from the summit down to the right. W e left the couloir to the right two-thirds of the way up the face and reached the ridge by a system of cracks and chimneys. In drier years it might be possible to leave the couloir to the left, but wet snow above would have made that other route hazardous. W e climbed the east ridge of East Peak on July 10 and 11. W e climbed Sub 1 (so designated by the Hendricks party) on grassy ledges to the right of the side couloir on the south face of the ridge between Sub 1 and Sub 2. W e continued through the col to Sub 2. A short rappel from Sub 2’s north side gained us easy ledges over which we made a descending traverse to avoid Sub 3, a rectangular column about 100 feet high with smooth, vertical walls. W e climbed a strenuous chimney-jam crack system to regain the ridge beyond Sub 3. Then, almost immediately we rappelled into the notch at the foot of Sub 4, a larger summit rising 200 feet, which we ascended using a jam-crack in the left corner of a large
chimney, prominent from the Sub 1-Sub 2 col. About 30 feet up, we had to enter this tight crack and climb another 30 feet inside the mountain before reentering and climbing the chimney to its top; one piton was used for direct aid. After 100 feet of delicate slabs, we stood on the top of Sub 4. Two, 100-foot rappels and some scrambling brought us to the col between Sub 4 and East Peak proper, where we bivouacked. In the morn ing we climbed East Peak in more or less a direct line from the col. Except for the first rope-lengths, it was straightforward. From a false summit, a short rappel brought us onto the original ascent route of the Feuz party. In difficulty both climbs compare with the more difficult of the classic Bugaboo routes. C h a r l e s A. F a y
Spear Spire, Northeast Face, and East Peak, East Ridge, Vowell Group, Purcells. On July 7 James Hebert, Robert Kruszyna and I made the first ascent of the northeast face of Spear Spire, climbing a couloir which runs diagonally from the summit down to the right. W e left the couloir to the right two-thirds of the way up the face and reached the ridge by a system of cracks and chimneys. In drier years it might be possible to leave the couloir to the left, but wet snow above would have made that other route hazardous. W e climbed the east ridge of East Peak on July 10 and 11. W e climbed Sub 1 (so designated by the Hendricks party) on grassy ledges to the right of the side couloir on the south face of the ridge between Sub 1 and Sub 2. W e continued through the col to Sub 2. A short rappel from Sub 2’s north side gained us easy ledges over which we made a descending traverse to avoid Sub 3, a rectangular column about 100 feet high with smooth, vertical walls. W e climbed a strenuous chimney-jam crack system to regain the ridge beyond Sub 3. Then, almost immediately we rappelled into the notch at the foot of Sub 4, a larger summit rising 200 feet, which we ascended using a jam-crack in the left corner of a large
chimney, prominent from the Sub 1-Sub 2 col. About 30 feet up, we had to enter this tight crack and climb another 30 feet inside the mountain before reentering and climbing the chimney to its top; one piton was used for direct aid. After 100 feet of delicate slabs, we stood on the top of Sub 4. Two, 100-foot rappels and some scrambling brought us to the col between Sub 4 and East Peak proper, where we bivouacked. In the morn ing we climbed East Peak in more or less a direct line from the col. Except for the first rope-lengths, it was straightforward. From a false summit, a short rappel brought us onto the original ascent route of the Feuz party. In difficulty both climbs compare with the more difficult of the classic Bugaboo routes. C h a r l e s A. F a y
