Kids in the Bugs
Story by Josh Lavigne for the 2025 ACC Gazette, photos by Mike Caswell
The ACC Bugaboo Section, the club’s newest section located in the East Kootenays of BC, took its first hut trip to the Conrad Kain Hut in August 2024. This trip brought together climbers and hikers, both young and old, to enjoy the alpine experience of the Bugaboo Spires and surrounding glaciers, tarns, and trails.
The Kain Hut, located in Bugaboo Provincial Park and managed by the ACC, provides a base for hiking and climbing up and around Bugaboo and Crescent Glaciers.
The trip took place between August 11th and 14th. The Bugaboo Section booked the entire hut for three nights, and with 11 kids under the age of 12, (including two at four years old and a baby at 15 months old) the hut was a busy place. Thankfully everyone got to spent a lot of time outside and there were no serious injuries from the kids’ fight club on the third floor. Members without children from the ACC Columbia Mountains Section also joined the party. Thanks, Revelstoke team.
A highlight was having so many keen parents and kids, and of note was Mike Caswell, ACMG guide, who joined the trip with his family—Racheal, Lachlan, Violet, and Conrad. He and his intrepid daughter, Violet (nine years old) woke up before sunrise and climbed Pigeon Spire via the West Ridge. The previous day he climbed Eastpost Spire with several other families and including his four-year-old son Lauchlan.
For Violet (aged 8), the day was the “hardest thing” she had ever done, but in the end, totally worth it.
Another highlight was the guided hiking experience for children, led by ACMG hiking guide Hahn Vincent from Edgewater, BC. These excursions introduced young hikers to the alpine environment in a safe and engaging way. The trip emphasized the ACC’s goal of encouraging outdoor appreciation across generations. This group spent their days hiking up and around the hut and playing in the lakes and mud flats around the glaciers. It was a fantastic and unforgettable experience for the kids.
For the climbers, Pigeon Spire was a goal and highlight. Known for its moderate routes, the spire is considered one of the most scenic summits in North America. On August 12th, a group climbed its West Ridge, an accessible route with great views on well-worn granite. Classic!
The trip also included several celebrations with shared food and candles, mixing happy times in with the shared struggles. Everyone felt connected to each other and to the rhythm of the mountains.
The Kain Hut is not only a building but a place that sustains the legacy of the climbers and adventurers that have explored in the Bugaboos, as well as a place that helps gather the community.
The ACC Bugaboo Section is keeping the legacy alive and has the hut booked again this September. We’ll be back with more keen kids running around on the peaks and glaciers. Check in next year.
Regional ACC Sections are the Alpine Club of Canada’s strength. Membership in an ACC Section enables members to participate in numerous summer and winter mountaineering, rock climbing, and skiing activities, coordinated by experienced amateur leaders in their local area. The majority of activities offered by sections are either free or are offered on a break-even basis to their members. Through ACC Section trips you’ll learn all the basics you need to travel safely in the mountains, while meeting new friends to enjoy your experiences with.
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