Bogart, Mount
Trip Report
I decided to end a 4 day peakbagging party (Monday - Pilot / Brett, Tuesday - Burstall / Storm, Wednesday - Fox) with a jaunt up Mount Bogart.
I don't really know what I was thinking since Bogart is one HECK of a SLOG but I guess I figured since it was only rated moderate and since it was kind of on the way home (I was camping in Elkwood) and one of the only Kananaskis peaks from Kane that I had left, I really didn't have much of a choice. The weather forecast wasn't great so I knew I'd have to move quickly and get an early start to have any chance of finishing. I wasn't too keen about doing this one solo since I know cougars and bears like the Ribbon Creek valley and I also knew that I'd be totally alone for many hours in remote terrain, but what can you do when all your buddies are working and you're not? :-)
I left the parking lot on my bike at 0630 just as the sky was getting lighter. I was slightly dissapointed to see the sign indicating only 4km of the Ribbon Creek trail was for biking but I think the sign is misleading and it's closer to 5km. That still left me 5-6km of hiking just to get to the base of the scrambling! It was going to be a slog...
...and it was a slog! I actually enjoyed the nice cool morning walk and arrived at Ribbon Falls about 10 minutes ahead of when I thought I would. The ascent up the water gully to the upper basin on Bogart looks intimidating from below and it's a bit tricky. You should take care not to get suckered onto difficult terrain here - there is a moderate route through this stuff but it's a wandering one and isn't always obvious.
I was getting tired by the time I topped out on the lovely alpine bowl above the water gully leading to the final 800 vertical meters of Bogart. The clouds were also building but it was early and I figured I still had at least 2 hours before the weather turned on me so I plodded towards the final scree grunt.
Kane is right when he says this slope is somewhat fore-shortened but I had my altimeter watch on so I thought I knew what I was in for. I was kind of right and kind of wrong. Once I finally got up to the final cliff band the 7300 meters of height gain over the past 4 days caught up with me and I started feeling seriously bagged. I also lost my route finding ability and for some reason ended up way too far on climber's right scratching my head and clammering up some really difficult and exposed terrain. Eventually I realized I was being stupid and backed off before finding the obvious route up a narrow crack through to the upper mountain and finally the summit itself.
On the way down I actually started nodding off a few times, I was getting tired! I managed to down climb through the gully to the Ribbon Creek trail and the rain started literally 1 minute after I got off the last slab! Talk about good timing! ;-)
The way back to the bike was kind of boring and my poor feet were falling off but once I got to the bike things got fun again. Bogart has great views and is a fun outing but make sure you have good weather, lots of time and good route finding skills. Also make sure you bring a bike!
I finally see the approach gully from the long Ribbon Falls trail.
The approach gully is fairly steep and exposed but is still moderate if you don't stray off route. I went left then right then left then right... ;-)
You can just make out the top of Ribbon Falls as I get higher up the access gully.
Higher up the gully, I went right here.
My first glimpse of the peak as I enter the high alpine bowl.
This is a great place to loll away a beautiful day! Or you can bash your way up that scree pile on the right... ;-)
Amazing views opening up to the west include Fortress, Tower and Galatea.
The clouds were interesting too.
Still a grind to go before the summit on this mountain!
Can't get enough of these views!
Finally on the summit block, looking towards Mount Assiniboine.
The clouds are starting to spit rain and it's getting windy and cold at the summit.
Higher than most other peaks around.
Dramatic skies.
Looking over at the Spray Lakes valley:
Mount Allan:
Looking towards Mount Baldy.
Aye, Eon and Mount Assiniboine:
Mount Sparrowhawk:
Nestor and Old Goat:
Vern on the summit of Bogart.
Some of the terrain is definitely moderate.
Steep terrain near the summit on descent:
Assiniboine again:
Two planes make some cool contrails above the ridge on Bogart:
Looking towards 'the lip' where you come over from the ascent gully into the high alpine meadow. The start of Ribbon Falls is just visible on bottom center.
