Congrats is a classic among classics. A striking 5.10 finger crack positioned at the crossroads of climbing on The East - it is the 5.10 to climb at The Lake. Congrats is considered by many to be the bar for 5.10 at Devil's Lake - climb it on TR and you are a 5.10 top-roper, lead it and you are a 5.10 leader. You might get lucky on the likes of Mouse's Misery or Callipigeanous Crack, but Congrats earns every bit of its 5.10 rating and so do you...if you send. It's also a great place to see and be seen, since just about every climber on the The East will walk past it (probably at least twice) during the day. Time your send right, and you might draw a hearty "Congrats!" and the offer of a beer from some grizzled local in the overflow lot at the base of the CCC later. But that sword cuts the other way as well - your wobbler-filled flail sesh will not escape the eyes of the masses either. In the end, Congrats should not be missed by anyone.

Congratulations

Sometimes Right

Chimney's End

Ironmongers Super Direct

Sometime Crack

Ironmongers

Lethe

Angle of the Dangle

Lower Diagonal

Birch Tree Crack

The Pedestal

Pine Box

Evelyn Bites The Crust

Rich and Famous

D.L.F.A

Modern Art

Welfare Line

Sometime Direct

Hourglass

Sometimes Left Side

Hourglass Direct

Condolences

Creation Crack

Upper Diagonal

Dyslexia

The Beginning

Sweatshop

All The Way

The Dog

The Stretcher

Blow-up

Golden Ledges

Assume the Position

F4 Ledges

Flake Route

The End Of The End

Pete's Lament

The End

Surprised this isn't added already. How many times have I walked past this? Probably 1000. Great moves with three distinct cruxs. End with the layback crux of Rich and Famous.

Found in the shadow of Sometimes Crack, this often overlooked and scrappy line is a good lead for the grade, though somewhat in your face at the start. Climb thin steep crack into the finish of the regular route.

Chimney's End is about the best example of a squeeze chimney you'll find at The Lake.  Climb up the blocky rock in the corner below the chimney.  Once you get to the chimney do some scissors/stemming moves and inch your way up to the top.

This is the face 5 feet left of Ironmongers.  Sven says that everything except the corner is on, but I found the grade to be accurate only if you stay on the face and don't use any holds in or to the right of the crack on Ironmongers.

 A bit of history and clarity from Jim Erickson:

 "This 20-foot, very contrived boulder problem was, in 1966, the hardest lead at the Lake. It was done by Sheldon Smith ground up, placing 2 soft iron, knife blades in the first ten feet with no chalk in a pair of Spider kletterschuhe. He didn't fall, but lowered off once after pounding in the first pin. He then went back up, placed the second one and sent. None of us could follow, despite many attempts. It goes straight up the thin crack to the bucket on Ironmonger's. Within reach, but not allowed, are the huge right arete side- pull and 2 fairly good edges within 6 inches of the arete. A year later, the amazing Tom Higgins easily top-roped it on his first try, chalkless in a pair of Kronhofers! It took me about 15 tries to top rope it over the next 4 years "

Sometime Crack is found on the monolith of rock that sticks out between the Pedestal Buttress and D'Arcy's Buttress.  The climb faces southeast and is overhanging.  Start out on a slabby piece of rock that is rated about 5.6.  Climb the 10-15 feet to the top of this slab and you'll be standing on a ledge at the base of the crack.  Climb the crack using jams (it's the only way in this case, so don't try to layback or you'll get spit off).  At the top of the crack the route goes to the right on a less defined crack/ledge for about 10 feet to the top.

15' or so to the left of Congrats 

  Start at the base of the tree, Climb into alcove. 

  Do SWEET layback moves to get you into the crack & to the top!

Lethe, the river of forgetfulness of the five rivers of Hades.  If you're climbing this route you may have forgotten that there's better routes very nearby.  That said, its not a bad route, just not much to it.  Climb the slab and overhang left of Evelyn, and follow the easy crack from the ledge to the top.

Climb from the ground Directly to the pin on Upper D. 

  Follow Upper D for 10' I think(Someone who's done it lately will be more accurate) Then take off straight up following Micro-Edges all the way to the top. 

  I had Tr'd the thing repetedly for weeks then one day, sntached up somebody's climbing partner and bam led it. 

  Or should I say soloed it, as there is NO gear on the actual route itself. The last piece possible to get is a Piece right before you leave Upper-D. 

  Don't fall at the crux unless your comfort level includes a 50 footer...

Lower Diagonal starts just to the right of the big dead tree stump.  Climb up the crack to a ledge.  At the ledge, follow the lower diagonal crack (less defined than the upper) to the corner of the buttress, then climb up the corner to the top.

Birch Tree Crack is found just off the CCC trail on the southeast side of the Pedestal Buttress.  Climb up on blocky terrain about 5 feet to access the crack.  The crack starts out with you in a small alcove.  Step up on a loose block and perform a tricky sequence to ascend the first section of the crack (the section with less features and lots of white chalk).  Once above this crux continue on slightly easier terrain.  Try to jam the crack instead of using the features on the face.  It makes things more interesting.

The Pedestal is a fun climb that is typically done in two pitches to reduce rope drag.  Start by the flake near Lower Diagonal.  Climb up about 15 feet then traverse left on top of flake (psychological crux) and around the corner.  Belay stance is in a comfortable notch.  The second pitch continues up and left toward the pine tree.  Finish up on a ten foot wall with a one-move crack.

Nice thin corner to the left of Congrats, somthin to lead when all of the bumblies have the other routes plugged with weenie (i.e. top) ropes...

Start in the more broken rock left of Ironmongers, and climb up to the left side of the ledge.  From the ledge, follow the easy crack as for Ironmongers

Start on Pine Box, till small overhang, move right under roof about 5/6ft then up face, ends on ledge about 20ft from top,  

  note using the holds above the overhang on Pine Box is off, using it is the #$%*?, #$%*? variation

didn't know where else to put this classic photo of the D.L.F.A. circa 1981.  will post pic when this route makes it to data base.

When in Rome. In a crgascape full of eliminates, Welfare Line is one of the more audacious. Climb a series of hard holds immediately left of Sometimes Crack finishing on the Direct. Essentially a pretty good boulder problem on a rope, so hey, if the ropes hanging... Can be led using the "In Reach" law of DL leading. That is, if you can reach the gear without climbing off route, then it is an acceptable ascent. 

A superb climb. Start same as Sometime Crack but at the niche half way up, continue straight up the face instead of angling to the right. The holds are good on the face, until the last move...

Hourglass begins by climbing into the crux of Birch Tree crack and when you've finally reached a decent hold on Birch Tree, cut left onto the face a few feet using crimps. Deadpoints on marginal crimps bring you to a decent rest ledge. From here fire straight up on super dooper thin crimps and make another long deadpoint to a decent hold and continue on good ledges to the top. A thriller of a route and if this gets ya goin... try the Hourglass Direct. I think they call it Hourglass because the pump timer is ticking...

Start as for Sometimes and surmount the pillar. Here the wall steepens, and you have the choice moving right into Sometimes Crack, or moving left onto the steep face.  

  To start the Left Side, gain a sloping ledge and launch into the crux of the route. Expect powerful moves off crimps and sidepuls, culminating with a lunge to the prominent horizontal break. Smile to yourself after you stick the lunge, since you just dispensed with the V3 crux move.  

  You are not out of the woods yet, as you still must negotiate the Sometimes Direct crux. Ignore the pump, because you have the Direct crux wired anyway. You had better have the crux wired, you poor, pumped, sketching climber, or you are in for a tough fight.

Hourglass Direct climbs the blank face just to the left of Birch Tree Crack. Though a far less asthetic variation starts by climbing to the alcove on Birch Tree and then moving left to the face, the direct version (starting right off the ledge) presents a more inspiring line. 

  Start on the ledge and look for the holds. Now, look closer. They are there, but they are very small. Pull up and go. This start is V4ish and is all about how hard you can pull on non-existent crimps. This is classic vertical, technical, nightmarish 5.12 DL climbing. 

  The holds get bigger, then smaller, and then bigger toward the top. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the route derives it's name by the "thinning" nature of the holds in the middle. Anyway, if you want to experience hard Devil's Lake crimping, here's your route.     

A wandering line near the left-hand edge of Campus Wall.  Jam your way up the initial crack - getting around the bulge is the crux.  Join "The Pedestal" in time for the move around the nose to the left.  Belay in the crow's nest, or continue left and up through the upper part of "Congratulations".  Watch out for rope drag if you try to do this in one pitch! Location Where the CCC trail comes up below the East Rampart and turns right, start in the crack a few feet right of the nose.

This pretty delightful crack is found on the north facing inside wall right by Chimney's End. Follow the hand crack and finger crack all the way to the top. Obviously, using the opposite wall would be cheating. Don't fall! Pretty solid hands, fingers and a bit of liebacking all packed into 40 feet.

One of the best routes Devil's Lake has to offer. The name says it all. When facing the right side of Pedestal Buttress this route slices up and left from the ledge at the base of Birch Tree Crack. Stay on the higher of the cracks, as the other is obviously Lower D. Good stopper from finger locks and at times insecure feet lead to a pleasant topout. Also easy to TR, but a swing is inevitable. Better to swing low than high. That's what she said.

Climbs slight arete between sometimes left side and DF. Cross blow up and finish on the upper wall of sometimes crack.

The Beginning is found between The Stretcher (route 31) and Chimney's End (route 29).  It is easily identified as the v-shaped dihedral to the left of Chimney's End.  Climb up the dihedral using the crack and face holds.

Sweatshop climbs the diagonal face between the two striking lines Upper Diagonal and Lower Diagonal. Start on the left side of the pedestal that is the start to Upper D and go left towards a jug and then crimp the rest of the way to the top left corner of Pedestal Buttress.

Do you want to lead a 5.12 at the Lake? I'm talking about a "real" 5.12--not some obscure short climb at Horse Rampart or some corner over at Sandstone. I'm talking about hard moves, tricky pro and mandatory runouts in groundfall territory. I'm talking about a 5.12 that is a hair's breadth away from the mythical routes like Bagatelle whose leads only live in the memory of a few crazed souls. Yeah, you guessed it, I'm talking about going All the Way.

 As with all 5.12 leads at DL, the stories about All the Way abound. Of course there was Deutchler's first ascent, which I didn't witness (I was two years old), but which I imagine taking place with a bunch of DLFAers sitting around, saying "Whoa man, that was groovy." Tommy's ascent did pave the way for other groundbreaking ascents of the era, Bagatelle included. Then there's the time that Zschiesche headed up the climb with no gear, and asked bystanders to throw him up the needed pieces. This technique never seemed to catch on, as the hassle I'm sure outweighed any weight savings. And finally, there was the time when I punted off the start crux moves, crashed into the arms of my spotters and may have broken, or seriously sprained, the finger of one willing spotter.

 To start the climb, locate the funky corner to the right of Congratulations. Climbing from the ground to the obvious hourglass hold presents the crux of the route. I thought it felt about V6, but I used spotters and crashpads, so feel free to judge me as not a true trad climber. There is no real pro until you stick the hourglass hold. Once you stick the hold, however, you must steel yourself for some heady climbing to reach the belay ledge of The Pedestal. This section feels 5.11ish, and you pass a welcome horizontal that offers a good rest and some nice pro. Above the horizontal, a small stopper protects the final hard move, which is just tenuous enough to keep your attention as you reach The Pedestal ledge.

 I'm not sure how the original route finished, but I like to think that Deutchler forged straight up the wall above The Pedestal ledge. On my lead, I tried to stay true to the line and I headed up steep rock above the ledge up to the long-forgotten mini-route called The Trick. This 5.8 wall is a harder ending to Lower Diagonal, and in my eyes, is the natural ending to All the Way. Climbing on that upper wall, I think I felt the "real" Devil's Lake 5.12 lead experience--moving up beautiful 5.8 high above your gear, but feeling solid and psyched because you've already passed the crux below. You did it, going All the Way to the top.

Are you planning a trip to Jackson Falls, or maybe to The Red? If so, you could do no better than to climb "The Dog" beforehand.  

  An overhanging arete unique to the Lake, "The Dog" feels like a sport route. Expect powerful, steep moves instead of the typical thin, crypto-technical moves found on many of DL's 5.12's. If you want to get strong, then look no further than "The Dog." If you want to get uber-strong, then start by doing laps on "The Dog."  

  To locate "The Dog," first locate The End. Start on The End's starting holds, but traverse right, eventually weaving an "S" path back left to the arete. From here, follow the steep arete to the top.  

  What, you have reached the top with nary a razor crimp encountered? That, my friend, is the joy of "The Dog."

The Stretcher starts about 10 feet right of Birch Tree Crack. First 10 feet is easy then it throws you the goods right away. From a large ledge about 10 feet up move left through a couple of difficult moves with not so good feet. Don't worry, there is a thank god hold just a few moves later. If you can finesse your way straight up, that's in the 10B range, otherwise follow the ledges right, then up. Remember, the pump clock is ticking, you better get movin'. A classic route that is harder for the short person. I'm 5'9" and a few of those holds have me pretty stretched out.

Blow-up begins by following Sometime Crack until about 2/3rd height where an obvious horizontal cuts left from the rest jug. Follow this horizontal by traversing left all the way to the corner, where you will be greeted by good holds and jams to the top.

this is another classic lead. fuk-nes moves with the possibility of hitting the ledge type pedestal should you blow it ,which i have seen people do.we use to put a pack on the pedestal to pad it.

Follow the wide crack system to the right of Birch Tree Crack and just left of the dihedral (the Beginning 5.7).  This is basically a variation of the Beginning, but is listed in Mike Farris's book (Rock Climbing Minnesota and Wisconsin) as a 5.4 called F4 Ledges (pgs 75-76).

Flake Route is the quintessential Devil's Lake climb--thin technical crimping on a vertical face.  

  Start up the center of "Campus Wall" directly underneath the alcove on Upper Diagonal. Climb straight up to the alcove, where you will find a fixed pin and a sneaky no-hands rest. Next, cast right and up, following small square cut crimpers up the center of the wall. 

  This climb is actually better protected than it looks if you place gear (.5 and .75 Camalots) on Upper-D, a few feet above the alcove.

A variation of The End.  Instead of climbing on the face, stay on the left arete.  Some cool arete holds and a fun crux in the middle make this a pleasant variation after you've sent The End.

Pete's Lament is basically a direct start to Stretcher. Start for Stretcher. Instead of going left and climbing the weakness, climb the blank, slightly (I'm talking about one or two degrees, here) overhanging wall to the right. 

  Eventually, you will merge back into Stretcher, where that route traverses right. Maybe some purists have climbed to the top without touching, or looking at, any holds on Stretcher. At any rate, the buisness resides on the lower face. The crux involves a V5 sequence off, you guessed it, thin crimps and bad feet.

This route is well worth doing whether ya lead it or toprope it.  On the far left side of the Sometimes formation,by the chimney.  Start off the block, or do the direct start.

The Pedestal Buttress is a 50 foot high buttress containing arount 20 very good climbs that are easily accessed.  Routes like Birch Tree Crack (5.8) and Upper Diagonal (5.9) see a lot of traffic, and there's even a two-pitch climb, The Pedestal (5.4), that's great for practicing a lead traverse.  This is another wall that will fill up by 9am on the weekends, so get here early.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 05: Pedestal Buttress