Vowell Group

Vowell Group is an alpine climbing area in British Columbia’s Purcell Mountains, north of the Bugaboo Group and associated with Vowell Glacier. Its objectives include Wallace Peak, Mount Kelvin, Snafflehound Spire, Spear Spire, East Peak, and the Archduke Trio.

The climbing is predominantly on granitic rock that is more fractured than the classic Bugaboo granite. Ridges and glaciers complicate movement through the group, with more technical glacier approaches and often involved descents than the main Bugaboo spires. The area is suited to experienced alpine climbers rather than single-pitch cragging.

Notable objectives reflect the area’s demanding alpine character. Snafflehound Spire’s southeast ridge is a 19-pitch, Grade IV, F9 route with mostly fifth-class climbing and some fourth class terrain; the ascent used nuts and slings rather than pitons. The east ridge of East Peak involves the Sub 1–Sub 4 summits, rappels, scrambling, and a bivouac, with difficulty comparable to the harder classic Bugaboo routes.