Bident Mountain (Attempt)

July 27, 2007 – July 28, 2007, bow range, banff national park

Summit
3084 m
Total gain
1200 m
Total distance
16 km
Trip time
18 hr
Technical
MN9 YDS (5.4)
Activity
alpine climb
Quick 'n dirty
Class 5 - you fall, you die
Difficulty
A fall on the crux would kill but then again we weren't really on a very nice route. There has to be better ways to climb this sucker!
Route
Map

The guide book is obviously out-of-date on these climbs, or at least the access to these climbs but in doing some research on the internet on Thursday night I was a bit more prepared for the actual difficulty. Both Rick Collier (bivouac.com) and Alan Kane indicated quite clearly that they consider these two mountains difficult. If Collier considers something “difficult”, I won’t take it too lightly! I don’t have too much to add to JW’s account except that our trip even started out on a sour note when we were an hour late getting to Moraine Lake because of a shut down on the trans Canada highway. Some trips are over before they even start and this one definitely had that feel to it for some reason!

Bident Mountain Attempt Route Map
Bident Mountain Attempt Route Map

I should point out that I think JW would have been keen to at least give Bident a try but I was having second thoughts considering the cold, wet weather and my inexperience at traversing steep snow/ice above a gaping crevasse (!) and Kev wasn’t too excited about down climbing into the schrund in a whiteout so that’s how we came to the decision to back off the route.

Starting the rock hopping along Consolation Lakes with the col (L), Bident and Quadra visible.
Starting the rock hopping along Consolation Lakes with the col (L), Bident and Quadra visible.
Alpine meadows beneath the col - visible at left of center here.
Alpine meadows beneath the col - visible at left of center here.
Ascending steep snow and horrid scree to the Bident Col.
Ascending steep snow and horrid scree to the Bident Col.
At our bivy on the east ridge of Bident Mountain.
At our bivy on the east ridge of Bident Mountain.

There were some successes though. We managed to bivy (no tents) at 9,000 feet in pouring rain and not get cold. We managed to climb some very loose / slippery 5.4 terrain (JW was once again the hero on a basically unprotected lead) in the rain. The terrain was so loose that rocks would come down either on their own or with the slightest nudge. Both Kev and I got some damage from rockfall and there were a bunch of very close misses.

An amazing sunrise from our bivy.
An amazing sunrise from our bivy.

We also learned to make sure our rappel anchor was hanging well over the lip of the rappel. JW climbed back up the rope twice after our rappel to free the ropes. The first time it was just caught on something (the terrain was really broken up) but the second time the rope couldn’t even get through the rappel anchor (tied off cord) because it was caught between the anchor and the edge of the rappel terrain.

The terrain we ascended up the manky NE ridge of Bident.
The terrain we ascended up the manky NE ridge of Bident.
Getting ready to climb!
Getting ready to climb!
We thought about traversing the glacier and taking the snow but...
We thought about traversing the glacier and taking the snow but...

We pulled on that rope with three guys and couldn’t get it down! JW climbed all the way up our rappel route, again basically unprotected because of the horrible rock, and rescued the rope! It was a great alpine experience for me, even though it was disappointing to come up so short on our objectives.

Rapping the horribly loose east face of Bident Mountain.
Rapping the horribly loose east face of Bident Mountain.
The Tower of Babel in sunlight looking tiny at left.
The Tower of Babel in sunlight looking tiny at left.
Descending from the col towards Consolation Lakes.
Descending from the col towards Consolation Lakes.