Predator Ridge Bouldering

Coming from Nelson, as you pass the Brilliant Dam (on your left) you take the first exit on your right towards Robson following the big blue provincial parks signs for ‘Syringa Provincial Park’. If you cross a bridge over the Kootenay River and hit the Castlegar Airport you have gone too far. From here follow this road down a few kilometers until you see more signs pointing to Robson and ‘Syringa Provincial Park’. Take a right here and set your odometer to “0”, this is Broadwater Rd. You will then pass a huge cliff on your right called ‘Lion’s Head’ & it’s namesake pub (highly recommended) to which tells you you’re going the right way. Now follow this road past the Dam for a total of 11.6kms to a pullout in a field just off the side of the road on your right (50m past the creek, excellent camping). You should be able to see a giant cliff above you with a big talus slope below it. If you hit Scotty’s Marina you’ve gone too far. Walk back down Broadwater Rd. and head
up a grassy hill and rock slabs to find the ‘Creekside’ Boulder 2 minutes from the car. For the remainder of the boulders, head up the overgrown road from the parking for about 5 minutes until you come upon a small boulder on your left, look for a cairn. If you encounter the ‘Private Property’ sign you have gone too far. From the cairn, hike steeply up the left side of the
grassy gully/slope (the property line is past the sign on the road, don’t wander). Steep switchbacks lead you up another 5 minutes to where you hit a nice bench/perch. From the bench either head right and into the Poplar forest for the ‘Pantless’ Boulder or follow the main trail to your left across the ridge (beautiful views) until you come to the impressive ‘Predator’ Boulder, about 15 minutes from the car. For the rest of the boulders continue briefly uphill to a small fork in the trail, take a left (west) to the ‘Wizard Cow’ Boulders or take the right fork towards the ‘Egg’ Boulder’ and the remaining climbing on a scenic bench.