Best Easy Trad Routes for Beginning Leaders at Devil's Lake State Park
For Midwest sport and top-rope climbers eager to begin their trad climbing careers, vast opportunity awaits at Devil’s Lake State Park. We love training aspiring climbers to lead on traditional protection (a.k.a. “lead trad”), but often find far fewer folks are excited about leading trad as we would expect.
This article provides a list of hand-picked routes we feel make for great training grounds for beginning leaders to place their first gear on lead and start developing the mental and physical calm and tenacity lead climbing requires.
Devil’s Lake Has a Reputation for Sandbagged Ratings
Many beginning and aspiring trad climbers are nervous to begin lead climbing at Devil’s Lake, as they’ve heard ratings can be stiff or “sandbagged.” While you can find much debate on Mountain Project regarding whether Lake ratings are sandbagged or not, the reputation is generally accurate: Anyone who has climbed across the country much knows Lake ratings are on the stiff side. A 5.7-rated route at Devil’s Lake might be rated 5.8 by Red River Gorge standards, or 5.9 by Red Rock Canyon standards.
So yes, the rating reputation gets your attention. Recognize this, choose your first routes conservatively (well below your top rope or sport leading ability), and get after it. Our “Easy Trad Routes of Devil’s Lake” guide below will help you get on your way.
Really Easy Routes
Boxwood Chimney, 5.2
Balanced Rock Wall, East Bluff
Bifurcation, 5.2
Balanced Rock Wall, East Bluff
Romper, 5.2
Devil’s Doorway, East Bluff
South Face, 5.2
Leaning Tower, East Rampart
Boy Scout, 5.3
East Rampart, East Bluff
Upper Weissner Crack, 5.3
Weissner Wall, West Bluff
Tree Slot Chimney, 5.2
Misery Rocks, West Bluff
Anemia, 5.3
East Rampart, East Bluff
Pretty Easy Routes
Queen’s Throne, 5.4
Cleopatra’s Amphitheater, West Bluff
Double Overhang, 5.4
Rainy Wednesday Tower, East Rampart, East Bluff
Beginner’s Delight, 5.4
Psuedo Hawk’s Nest, East Rampart, East Bluff
Moderation, 5.4
Two Pines Buttress, East Rampart, East Bluff
The Horse, 5.4
Horse Rampart, East Bluff
New Box, 5.4
Balanced Rock Wall, East Bluff
Box Top, 5.4
Balanced Rock Wall, East Bluff
Birthday Chimney, 5.4
Birthday Rocks, East Bluff
Scavenger of Sorrow, 5.4
Horse Rampart, East Bluff
Kenosis, 5.4
Major Mass, East Bluff
Plain Easy Routes
Sunken Pillar, 5.5
Balanced Rock Wall, East Bluff
The Bone, 5.5
Porkchop Buttress, West Bluff
Foreplay, 5.5
Bedroom Amphitheater, East Rampart, East Bluff
Pine Tree Dihedral, 5.5
Railroad Ampitheater, East Bluff
Weissner Chimney, 5.5
Weissner Wall, West Bluff
Can Can, 5.5
The Frigate, West Bluff
Condor Corner, 5.5
Condor Buttress, East of the East, East Bluff
Devil’s Lake Climbing Guide Books
Most, if not all, the routes above are included in Devil’s Lake - A Climbing Guide, by Baraboo native Jay Knower (2016, Wolverine Press). If any routes are missing there, you’ll undoubtedly find them in the comprehensive Climbers’ Guide to Devil’s Lake, by Sven Olaf Swartling (3rd edition, 2008, University of Wisconsin Press).
