Grad Wall

Grad Wall is a mostly sport-climbing crag near Castlegar with nine moderate routes, ranging from 5.7 to 5.10b in the Yosemite Decimal System. Most routes are around 25–30 m, with the two-pitch Career Path reaching 50 m; New School adds a 5.8 mixed option requiring small gear and two bolts.

The approach starts from Terrace Road, with parking roughly 300 m up the road on a wide shoulder. A faint path crosses a grassy slope, passes a ditch containing a gas line, and climbs through brush to an open grassy bench beneath the wall. Allow about 15 minutes. The south-facing cliff gets strong afternoon sun, with climbing conditions generally described for April through November.

The area was developed in 2019 by David Lussier through a routing clinic associated with the Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers. Career Path is a 50 m, two-pitch 5.8 with nine bolts on pitch one and seven on pitch two; the route’s descent is by two rappels or a bushy walk-off to the right.