Fall training in the Bugaboos

Holly and Emelie at the base of  Pigeon Spire, Bugaboo Provincial Park

As our team slowly works our way through seemingly endless to-do lists, earlier this month we managed get out and spend some time in the field together. As Emelie is based in Revelstoke, getting together for trips has proved more difficult than we originally thought. Everyone will be busy in December and we are hoping to get some time on snow together in in the early season, but we needed a trip to happen in the fall to go over the basics.
Everyone has had some climbing experience and has spent time walking on glaciers, but roping up and travelling as one group was exactly what we needed. Keep the rope taught when navigating crevasses, call to stop if you have to adjust your crampons or tie your bootlaces, communicate clearly when belaying or rappelling.
All the little things.
After a mostly uneventful drive from Whistler to Revelstoke, Holly and I pulled  in to Emelie's place at around 10 p.m. After considering all the gear that we were going to need, we left some climbing hardware behind but with food, clothing and gear for up to five days, our packs were still ridiculously heavy. Even though we intend to pull majority of our load in the Pamirs on sleds, it was worth seeing how we would all handle carrying full expedition packs from the car park of Bugaboos Provincial Park all the way to the Applebee campsite. The hike took about three hours with a few breaks.

Rocks, logs and chicken wire keep the rubber-eating porcupines from chewing through your tires and brake lines

We called in at the ACC Conrad Kain Hut to grab some stove fuel that Emelie had stockpiled earlier that week before the last leg up to the campsite. The weather was holding and we wanted a good night's sleep for a full day in the alpine the next day.

Fine weather for the hike in

Applebee campsite, Bugaboo Provincial Park

Rising at dawn with a quick breakfast of oatmeal and coffee, we geared up and began the hike to the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col, one of the most popular routes to access dozens of alpine climbing options. Conditions weren't the best, we had to skirt a bergschrund and briefly scrambled up on blue ice, all while watching for rockfall. Once on the Upper Vowell Glacier we had a routine approach towards Pigeon Spire. Once on rock we left our crampons and ice axes and began the scramble towards the summit.
The weather was approaching and even though we were easily able to grab the summit, we knew it would be safer to turn around. That decision can be a difficult one when summits, couloirs and powder are calling, but it's also a decision that we need to get used to when traveling at high altitude.

Emelie leads Holly on the Pigeon Spire

Descending the Upper Vowell Glacier, we decided to take the Icefall Rappel route to get some practice descending on ropes. The rain came in the final hour before making it back to camp but we managed to stay mostly dry with good shell layering.
The next morning there was a mass exodus from the campsite, the incoming rain prompting all the climbers to pull out. But we weren't done yet, we needed a solid day of crevasse rescue training before we could head back to civilization. The sun was out for the first hours of the morning as we hiked past the Conrad Kain Hut towards the Fork-Bugaboo Glacier. Much of the foot of the glacier was bare ice, good practice for careful steps and tool placement. Crevasses littered the glacier and after finding a suitable one for rescue drills we took turns getting lowered in while the other members practiced pulley systems.

The five-pitch Icefall Rappel

Careful steps on the icy slopes of the Fork-Bugaboo Glacier

The thunder cracked suddenly, we quickly packed up and bee-lined it off the glacier. We were about a third of the way through the boulder fields when the torrential downpour hit us. We took refuge in the very comfortable Conrad Kain Hut, the occupying ACC members happily letting dry out our gear and cooking dinner before heading back to our tents for the night.
Though the storm passed, the overnight rain was already beginning to dampen spirits. We made it through three of our five planned nights in the Bugaboos; hiked with heavy packs, got in a full day of climbing and glacier travel and had proper field session on crevasse rescue. The weather was only getting worse so we made the call to pull out the next morning. The rain drenched us again on the way out but we all had dry clothes waiting in the car.
Fall field training was complete. See you when the snow flies.

VS

Welcome to our journey

Winter is in the air. As the first snowflakes fall in the alpine we begin preparation for what may be the biggest trip of our lives. In May 2014, ski mountaineer Holly Walker, ski guide Emelie Stenberg and photojournalist Vince Shuley will travel to Central Asia to cross the fabled Fedchenko Glacier on skis. Situated in the Gorno-Bardakhshan province of Tajikistan, the Fedchenko stretches 77 kilometers across the Pamir Mountains and is the main water source for millions of people in Central Asia.
Our party will be entirely self-propelled and unsupported from when we set foot on the glacier until we step off it. Along the way we intend to explore the many peaks of the Pamirs by setting up base camp and ski touring the surrounding areas, which will all be documented by Vince.
This blog has been created to document our preparations for the Fedchenko including expedition training, gear testing and sponsorship. We are proud to announce that Emelie was selected as recipient of the 2013 Alpine Club of Canada Jen Higgins Fund, which is giving the trip an excellent kick start as we apply for additional grants this fall and continue our preparations.

Thanks for stopping by and we hope to see you back here as we bring you more updates!

VS

Holly, Emelie and Vince soaked to the bone after fall alpine climbing in the Bugaboos