About Us

It is hard to imagine a better mountain range to represent a section of the ACC. The Bugaboo mountains, producing a long list of  bold and historical ascents, starting with  Bugaboo Spire by Conrad Kain in 1916; the Bugaboos became  a symbol of the wild and adventurous nature of climbing in the Purcell mountains; and often a launching pad for Canada’s emerging alpinists to test their skills. It is at the heart of the Rocky Mountain Trench and a focal point for climbers and skiers alike. And the location of one of the ACC’s most iconic huts.

The Rocky Mountain Trench encompasses a broad swath of area dividing the Rockies from the Columbias, by the slow moving Columbia river.  In the south, Cranbrook and to the north, Golden, all have access to different parts of these two ranges. Development for climbing and backcountry access has been slower than in the national parks like Kootenay (KNP) to the east and Glacier (GNP) to the north.  The mountains in the trench have been primarily developed by logging, motorized vehicles use, and  a handful of outfitters.

The wild and undeveloped nature of the mountains, combined with a small population has left the local mountain community without a hub to gather and grow. With an ever growing population in all the communities in the Trench, the threshold is being reached to sustain a mountain community to grow and flourish.