This is the nicest places to stay in Bugaboo Provincial Park.
Also known as "The Bugaboos".
Climbers love crowd-isolating jargon, so you'll often hear it shortened all the way down to "The Bugs", or, worse "DA BUGZ!"
It's a great place to wait out the notoriously fickle weather in the area. It's run by the delightfully-friendly Alpine Club of Canada. (it's cheaper if you're a member, and if you plan on staying here for more than 5 days, the membership practically pays for itself)
It's got:
Power (WUT?!)
Sleeping pads
Running water (they say you probably shouldn't drink it straight up, but we did, #YOLO)
Pots and pans
Tables
Lots of climbing books to study
Posters of Conrad Kain doing his famous pose
Burners for cooking
It does not have:
Plumbing (outhouse only, sorry)
Bedding (other than the squishy pads)
Food for sale (although people hiking out might give you some if you're nice...)
You need to bring:
Sleeping bag
Food
Adult beverages (whisky for light weight, beer for a strong back)
Climbing gear
Clothes
Some people choose to camp rather than stay in the hut. There are a couple of reasons they generally do this:
- They are cheap
- They came last minute and the hut was booked
- They desperately want to have "dirtbag credentials" because they slept in a tiny, humid nylon box rather than a large, dry wooden one
- They want to be much closer to the climbing routes
The last point is the one I empathize most with. By staying at the hut, you are adding another 1,000 ft of gain to the beginning and end of every climbing day. Is it worth it? If the weather is iffy, I'd say: "definitely". read more