I had the day off today so I decided to go and do some exploring up at one of the only crags here in Wisconsin. This of course meant a trip to Devil’s Lake State Park. I will be the first to admit that I (and many others) spend a lot of my time pissing and moaning about the lack of “destination” climbing areas near where I live. “The Lake” does not have a big reputation for bouldering but I am coming around on it as a worthwhile area.
Bulbous Boulder – 1 V5 & 1 V8
For people that are not familiar, Devil’s Lake is mostly a toprope or traditional lead crag. No bolting whatsoever. What bouldering there is is often mocked or ridiculed. Friction is basically a non-existent element as the rock is generally bullet-hard quartzite. However as you can see in the picture above, there are some good bouldering lines if you know where to look. Sadly this roof climb is really the exception and not the norm.
Most of the lines are near dead vertical with very little in the way for feet. Below is a picture of a boulder that contains the hardest line at The Lake. It basically starts at the bottom right of the boulder and traverses up and left into the V9ish problem and then tops out (which the V9 does not). This was really amazing FA done by Brian Sandona a few years ago, and as far as I know it is still unrepeated.
Beautiful Soup Boulder – 1 v9 & 1 V11?
I will have more information over the coming months and hopefully some better pictures of people actually climbing. If you are interested in bouldering at the lake and need more information don’t hesitate to email me.
Where is this Bulbous Boulder?
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It’s near the top of the balanced rock trail on the east bluff and then a short hike down into the talus. I’ll show you in the spring.
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