Howser Spire, or Howser Spire Massif, is a group of three distinct

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

peaks, and the highest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...

of the Canadian Bugaboo Spires. The mountain is located at the southwest corner of the Vowell Glacier, within the Bugaboo mountain range in the

Purcell Mountains The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mounta ...

, a subrange of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Columbia Mountains The Columbia Mountains are a group of mountain ranges along the upper Columbia River in British Columbia, Montana, Idaho and Washington. The mountain range covers 135,952 km² (52,491 sq mi). The range is bounded by the Rocky Mountain T ...

, The highest of the three spires is the North Tower at , the Central Tower the lowest, and the South Tower is slightly lower than the North at . Howser Spire - under the spire

Howser Spire is named after the town of Howser on Duncan Lake and Howser Creek. The first ascent of the North Tower was made in August 1916 by

Conrad Kain Conrad Kain (10 August 1883, Nasswald – 2 February 1934, Cranbrook, British Columbia) was an Austrian mountain guide who guided extensively in Europe, Canada, and New Zealand, and was responsible for the first ascents of more than 60 routes in ...

, Albert MacCarthy, E. MacCarthy, J. Vincent and Henry . The Beckey-Chouinard/West Buttress route is recognized in the historic climbing text ''

Fifty Classic Climbs of North America ''Fifty Classic Climbs of North America'' is a climbing guidebook and history written by Steve Roper and Allen Steck. It is considered a classic piece of climbing literature, known to many climbers as simply "The Book", and has served as an inspi ...

'' and considered a classic around the world.

Nearby

Brenta Spire Brenta Spire is a peak in the Purcell Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pac ...

Bugaboo Spire Bugaboo Spire is a peak in Bugaboo mountain range in Canada, located between the Vowell and Crescent glaciers, just under 2 km West of the ACC's Conrad Kain hut. It is known for its alpine climbing. The Spire was first climbed by Conrad K ...

(3204 m) * Conrad Kain hut *

Crescent Towers Crescent Towers are towers just east of Crescent Spire and south of Eastpost Spire in the Purcell Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces an ...

* Hound's Tooth *

Marmolata Spire Marmolada ( Ladin: ''Marmolèda''; German: ''Marmolata'', ) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Veneto. The Marmolada is an ultra- ...

Pigeon Spire Pigeon Spire is a peak in the Purcell Mountains of the Columbia Mountains in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It may be one of the most climbed of the spires in The Bugaboos The Bugaboos are a mountain range in the Purcell Mountains of ...

(3156 m) *

Snowpatch Spire Snowpatch Spire is a mountain peak in British Columbia, Canada. With its first ascent in 1940, it was the last of the Bugaboo Spires to be climbed. It is located southwest of the Conrad Kain hut, across the Crescent Glacier. Routes * Wildflo ...

(3084 m)

References

* Canadian Alpine Journal vol VIII, 1917, p. 17, and in CAJ 1938, pp 17 & 22. * J.M. Thorington's "Guide to the Interior Ranges of British Columbia", 1947, p. 97.

External links

* Columbia Valley Three-thousanders of British Columbia Purcell Mountains Kootenay Land District {{BritishColumbiaInterior-geo-stub