Upper Cat Wall

Upper Cat Wall is a steep, exposed crag above Arrow Lakes near Castlegar, with a mix of bolted, gear-protected, and mixed climbing. The wall is reached from the roadside pullout used for Roadside Wall: cross the road, follow the cut trail past a large boulder to Lower Cat Wall, then take the right fork and switchbacks uphill. Upper Cat Wall is roughly three minutes beyond Lower Cat Wall.

The route spread runs from 5.7 to 5.12b. Notable lines include Cat Burglar (5.12b mixed, 30 m), Feline Fine (5.10c sport, 18 m), Jimmy (5.10b sport, 23 m), Daisy (5.10a gear, 22 m), Hailey Simone (5.10b mixed, 20 m), Cat Fight (5.10b mixed, 22 m), and I Can Haz Cheeseburger (5.7 mixed, 20 m).

Jimmy is a sustained face climb on the main wall, while Cat Burglar combines a steep bouldery start, a gear-protected crack, and a vertical headwall. Daisy follows a steep broken crack and takes gear up to 4 inches; Hailey Simone and Cat Fight add mixed climbing through roofs, overhangs, and corners.

The approach and wall involve loose rock, particularly around the newer climbing, so a helmet is appropriate. The parking area is about 1 km beyond the dam when approaching from Castlegar or Nelson, at a red gate and lakeside pullout.