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10/08/03: Matt Maddaloni and Sean Isaac climb new free route in the Bugaboos.
Matt
Maddaloni and Sean Isaac established a new route on the previously unclimbed
northwest face of Wide Awake Tower in the Pigeon Feather group on the
backside of the Howser Tower massif. This 1200 foot Rostrum-like pillar
of splintered granite had been looked at and talked about but avoided
due to its remote and overhanging nature. Maddaloni and Isaac worked
on the route over six days, first aiding the hard pitches to some degree
then cleaning them a bit and finally leading them free. The 11-pitch
route contained six pitches of 5.11 crack climbing. Maddaloni, hailing
from Squamish thus the stronger granite climber, sent the harder pitches
including the semi-bolted first pitch and the overhanging thin hand
to fist corner of the third pitch, both 5.11+. They named their route
Wild Fire (V 5.11+) after the numerous out-of-control forest fires that
blazed all around the Bugaboo range during their stay. This expedition
was sponsored by Arc'teryx.
copyright 2004: SeanIsaac.com