Tom Egan Memorial Route Freed
Will Stanhope’s first visit to the Bugaboos was with Chris Brazeau in 2008. It was on that trip that Stanhope first noticed the splitter crack rising up the east face of Bugaboo Spire called Tom Egan Memorial Route. The climb was established in 1978 by Daryl Hatten and John Simpson and named in honour of their friend Tom Egan who died in a plane crash.
Stanhope’s next visit to the Bugaboos was in 2010 with British strong-woman Hazel Findlay. They climbed the Power of Lard 5.12d on the east face of Bugaboo Spire intending to rappel the Tom Egan Memorial Route to beef up the belays. Stanhope was amazed by how perfect the cracks on the climb were, but noticed one section would have to be by-passed with some face climbing.
Two years later, Stanhope returned with Matt Segal and searched for a sequence of holds that could lead them to the splitters. From Sweet Sylvia 5.12b, Segal found a line of small side pulls and holds. The line of holds looked desperate, but they were certain it could be climbed. It took four years and over 100 days, but in August of this year, Stanhope linked the moves and sent the face pitch. Segal tried desperately and almost sent. After Stanhope freed the pitch, he and Segal sent the Blood on the Crack pitch, one of the most splitter finger cracks anywhere. “The name of the pitch is a homage to Bob Dylan’s 1975 masterpiece album said Stanhope. During their fourday climbs, Stanhope sent every pitch and claimed the first free ascent of the route. Segal freed everything, but the 5.14 face pitch.
The route starts on Sweet Sylvia and then traverses to a bolted station. From there, the 5.14 face pitch leads to the headwall cracks of the Tom Egan proper. The Blood on the Crack pitch is 5.14-, which is followed by two 5.13 crack pitches. The route then climbs easier pitches to the ridge.
After a short celebration on the summit, severe weather rolled in and they rappelled the Sunshine route. The storm brought lightning and hail so fierce they couldn’t move at one point. Stanhope said the Tom Egan Memorial Route was the most challenging battle he’s been part of. He stresses the importance Segal had for his success. The Tom Egan Memorial Route is technically the hardest alpine route in North America and has the most difficult gear-protected alpine pitch in Canada.–