This is a classic climbing area with a mix of sport and trad climbs. Most of the routes are single-pitch, but there are a handful up to three pitches long.
Kinnaird Bluffs has a history going back to the 1960s. From the beginning, the main users were members of the Kootenay Mountaineering Club. The club held a rock climbing course yearly on the Bluffs. The land was eventually sold as part of a housing development and then was purchased by the non-profit society TAWKROC (The Association of West Kootenay Rock Climbers) in 2016. They maintain it and keep public access open.
The 18-acre property boasts 100-metre-high cliffs but is surrounded on 3 sides by suburbia. Therefore it’s imperative climbers be respectful of the neighbours:
• Park near the base of the trail to the Open Book Wall
• Sign the waiver every year
• Keep noise to a minimum. The base of Kinnaird acts as an amphitheatre and the neighbours hear everything climbers say.
• Stay to established trails.
• Stay off of private property and out of people’s backyards.
• Do not cross the empty lot below the Hail Mary Wall. There’s a new trail from Yellow Sling Wall
• Support TAWKROC by purchasing an annual membership for $10 here
Drive. Turn west from Highway 22 onto 37th Street at the very south end of Castlegar (Kinnaird). Follow 37th through the residential neighbourhood to the end, then turn right onto Sahlstrom Road. Park in a small pull-out on the right 100m up the road. The trail starts on a small bridge crossing a creek up to a talus field.
Climbs. 95 total climbs – Trad 63, Sport 30 and Toprope 8. Difficulty 5.6 to 5.12.