Adventure Magazine

Enhancing the
experience: Bigger,
bolder, scarier.
by Derek Cheng
High foot on a granite pebble. High hand to a
sloping hold of inadequate proportions. Commence
uncontrollable shaking. Down-climb.
I was on the east face of Snowpatch Spire in the
Bugaboos, Canada – one of the most impressive
alpine playgrounds in the world. But I was too busy
trembling in fear to rejoice in the beauty of these
impeccable granite spires.
This part of the climb follows three bolts up a steep
face before joining an arching corner crack. After a
half dozen tries in three different directions, I didn’t
have any more juice to down-climb.
Involuntary shaking gripped me as I gripped the
sloper once more. Above me was a tenuous-looking
rail that looked like it had been hand-slapped. I
glanced right and saw a distant pod, lunged my
right foot to it, and then hucked for the rail. My eyes
popped in disbelief as I latched it, and I quickly moved
my feet up to a stance.
Holy shitballs. That was exciting. I didn’t realise
exactly how exciting until I was safely back at the
Applebee campsite that night. When I mentioned
the part of the climb to one of the local climbers, he
replied: “Oh, yeah. That’s a terribly bolted pitch. I
should have warned you about that. You’re looking
at a horrible ledge fall trying to pull that crux. I just
figured you’d climb the easy alternative to the left.”
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