Matt Maddaloni, Wild Fire Article

Above: Aiding, cleaning and working pitches. Pitch 2, Sean hard at work. Chris Atkinson photo.

Above: Matt on the endurance pitch. They used three #2 and three #3 Camalots and still ran it out. Chris Atkinson photo.

Below: Matt on his way to solo the Becky / Chouinard, 4 hours tent to tent. Chris Atkinson photo.

Bugaboo Range new routes, 2003 season.

First new route of the 2003 season was on the previously unclimbed northwest face of Wide Awake Tower in the Pigeon Feather group on the backside of the Howser Tower massif. This 400m Rostrum-like pillar of splintered granite had been looked at and talked about but avoided due to its remote and overhanging nature. Sean Isaac (Canmore) and Matt Maddaloni (Squamish) worked on the route over six days first aiding the hard pitches then cleaning them and finally leading them free. The 11-pitch route contained six pitches of 5.11 crack climbing. Maddaloni, the stronger granite climber, sent the harder pitches including the semi-bolted first pitch and the overhanging thin hand to fist corner of the third pitch, both 5.11+. They named their route Wild Fire (V 5.11+) after the numerous out-of-control forest fires that blazed all around the Bugaboo range during their stay.

Chris Geisler (Vancouver) and Dave Edgar (Revelstoke) made the long awaited second ascent of the Catalonian Route on the massive south face of South Howser Tower. The Catalonian route was climbed in 1983 by Joan Cabau, Edward Burgada, Antonio Masana and Joan Wenciesko. It is located between the classic Beckey-Chouinard Route and the beautifully symmetrical Minaret Pillar. Geisler and Edgar not only made the second ascent, but also managed to free the whole route on-sight. They climbed the 20-pitch route in a day getting back just at dark. Two pitches were 5.11, which Geisler described as “very spicy.” On the crux pitch, he ended up using all his R.P.’s to protect the insecure climbing.

Near the end of August, the Bugaboos along with all BC Provincial Parks were evacuated and closed due to extreme forest fire hazard from the hot, dry summer. Camped in isolation on the remote backside of the Howsers, Nick Martino (Kansas) and Renan Ozturk (Rhode Island) were unaware of this closure and went on to climb two new routes during their stay. As a warm-up, they made another addition to the Pigeon Feathers by sending the unclimbed northwest rib of East Pigeon Feather Peak. Their Ride the Snafflehound (III 5.10) went in six pitches at 5.10. After an aborted attempt to free the Southwest Pillar Route (VI 5.10 A3) on the Minaret Pillar due to “very scary climbing in slammed shut seams” (they got six pitches up the 20-pitch route and freed up to 5.11+/5.12-), they moved onto their second new route, which climbed a steep chimney system between the Catalonian Route and the Minaret Pillar. Their 20-pitch Soul Cinders V 5.11 C2 was climbed in a 14 hour push camp-to-camp and had three 5.11 pitches including a stunning 60m finger crack. They finished their trip off with a rapid ascent of All Along the Watchtower and already are planning on returning next summer to attempt the route’s second free ascent.

Correspondent: Sean Isaac