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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Dec 15, 2009 - 06:46pm PT
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Damn, I'm away from my computer for a few days and a Devil's Lake thread pops up!!!! Devil's Lake was my climbing cradle, and I had the good fortune to learn how to climb there in the mid-60s with such fantastic mentors as rgold, Dave Slinger, Jim Erickson, etc.I could go on forever about the Lake, but will just elaborate on a few points. While obviously H.H. Bennett and his peers must have done some pretty impressive climbing much earlier, "modern" climbing at Devil's Lake started with the Stettner brothers (Joe and Paul) in the mid-1920s after they emigrated to Chicago from Germany. They already had considerable climbing experience before they came to the States and similar to other emigres of that period--such as Wiessner and Kraus, were climbing at a more advanced level than most "native" climbers, so that the routes they established at the Lake were very difficult for the era. I have a book at home (sorry, I don't remember the title) that describes their careers and gives some good early history of climbing at the Lake and of the CMC, though little actual detail on what they climbed there.Subsequent visitors, such as Wiessner also added a number of high quality routes during the '40s. However, it was his "visits" which John Gill so modestly refers to in the late '50s that really set the course for the future of climbing at the Lake. During those visits John established what was undoubtedly the hardest collection of climbs in the country at the time. Often done solo, some of them would be rated 5.11 in most other areas, at a time when elsewhere the "first" 5.10s were just being ascended. The Lake's isolation and "unique" grading system have kept these routes from attaining the wider recognition they deserve. Though short, these were and are routes, not boulder problems, (though John did several of those there as well), even by today's "highball" standards--and he used no pads!!!! No one else, with the possible exception of Dave Slinger, could come close to repeating his routes for a number of years, but Slinger and U. of Chicago climber Pete Gardner kept their memories of his routes, and in the mid-'60s passed this information on to a group of highly capable and motivated climbers who were students at that insitution including Steve Derenzo, Rich Goldstone (ST's own rgold),and Ray Schragg, and others such as Bob williams of Northwestern U. These climbers trained hard, repeated many of Gill's routes, and added their own, further consolidating the high level of free climbing at the Lake. This was during a period when much of the focus in US climbing was on aid and big walls rather than on pure free climbing. (I recall that when I was a brand new climber, the faculty advisor of the U. of Wisconsin Hoofers Mountaineers telling me that Devil's Lake (maybe 60' at the tallest) was a place to practice mountaineering not rock climbing!!!! What I think he meant was that "rock climbibng"=big wall aid, while mountaineering=free climbing.)Over the next few years a number of other groups and individuals also began to push their free climbing at the Lake--including the Racine Crag Rats--a group of high school kids including Jim and Dave Erickson and the late Sheldon Smith, Pete Cleveland--a recent arrival from Boston, and a revitalized Dave Slinger. Slinger is worthy of specific mention as he was in his 60s during this period(and looked older), was believed to be an onion farmer (he was in fact a retired banker who owneed a farm) and would dress the part in overalls and work boots. His "party piece" was to hang around the crags so dressed watching hapless climbers struggle on certain climbs. He would then offer "advice" in his exaggerated midwest twang, and then once his advice was ignored, as it routinely was, would solo the route in his boots to "show them how" to do it. They would usually give up instead!!!! There were other "interesting" groups and individuals in the relatively small Devil's Lake climbing community of the era--including the Terrible Trio Mountaineering Club--membership in which required one take a leader ground-fall(all 3 took several and came close on too many other occasions to count). Amazingly all 3 survived(to the astonishment of their peers), and one has since won an Oscar (Errol Morris--who also authored an unpublished guide to the Lake full of Trio black humor--a collector's item par excellence). By the late '60s most of this group (except for Cleveland and Slinger) had moved on, but many used their Lake-honed free-climbing skills as leaders in the nationwide free-climbing explosion of the late "60s/early '70s--Goldstone in the Gunks and Needles, Jim Erickson in Colorado,Cleveland in the Needles and Tetons, etc.Of course, later generations of Devil's Lake climbers have kept up the traditions of off-beat personas and hard climbing--the DLFA, for example. I've gone on too long, so I'll stop for now--but hope this gives you some history Mr. Grossman!!!!
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Dec 15, 2009 - 07:50pm PT
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One of the difficulties in sorting out Devil's Lake history is the number of groups climbing there that didn't communicate with one and other. Before, during, and after the period Al mentions, there was an active Chicago Mountain Club; I remember names like Bill Widule and Olle Swartling. The brash youths from the Universities of Chicago and Wisconsin tended to think of the CMC group as a sort of midwestern Appie clone, forever engaged in taking beginners up the same small list of climbs. But I don't know if this was true or fair, and we'd have to hear from them on the subject. One climber who was certainly very good was Roger Wiegand (first ascent of Roger's Roof); I'm not really sure who he was associated with.
A tiny correction to Al's account: the climber he refers to as Peter Gardener actually spells his last name Gardiner.
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Geno
Trad climber
Reston, VA
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Dec 15, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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Steve, Thanks for starting this.
Rgold, Your pictures are priceless!
Al Rubin, Great history.
Geno
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fosburg
climber
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Dec 15, 2009 - 09:46pm PT
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What about that guy Jack Ness? Seems like he was in on a bunch of fa's there back in the day.
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Jello
Social climber
No Ut
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Dec 15, 2009 - 09:52pm PT
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I spent one day at Devil's Lake several decades ago. I remember leading several climbs graded 5.9 that definitely would be 5.10 elsewhere, and one 5.10 that I would have called solid 5.11. But, once you get the picture, the grades are straightforward. Just round up a number or two to any of the local grades. There you go!
-Jello
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prunes
climber
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Dec 15, 2009 - 10:36pm PT
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If Mr Midwest was to grace us with his banter on this thread it would turn into endless pontificating about a certain wall route on El Cap. Perhaps he could sign in under a presumed name.
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prunes
climber
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Dec 15, 2009 - 10:42pm PT
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lightboi
Trad climber
MN
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Dec 15, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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One of the things that kept my intrest in climbing at devils lake in my teens was the great route names that matched my adolescent brain.
climbs such as:
Degrade Your Sister
Foreplay/orgasam/second coming
match the snatch
milking the bull
wild west homo
Mammalary Magic
These creative names made me realise that even the old crusty drunk men who had conned me in to packing up a case of old style, had something in common with me.
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prunes
climber
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Dec 15, 2009 - 10:55pm PT
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Do not forget other classics such as
Blinded by lust
between the cheeks
the vulva Named by a famous climber of the CMC
No stranger to the fist
Tomb of the unknown homo
The man with the golden penis
the yeast infection
shaking hands with the chimp
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Mimi
climber
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Dec 15, 2009 - 11:45pm PT
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Hilarious route names. Would make the Verm proud.
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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Dec 15, 2009 - 11:49pm PT
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yo punters, Yep Devil's lake is a great place to learn how to climb,to have fun and party. Al Rubin,s post did an excellant job covering the history of D.L. A slew of very good climbers have cut there teeth so to speak at DL. From the stettners to john gill,jim erickson,tommy deuchler,rich goldstone ,bob williams, bob horan,ralph schmidt,dave slinger,the dlfa, etc. But undoubtly the best was Pete Cleveland. The man was pulling down at a very high standard in the 60,s and beyond. On site first ascent of Son of Great chimney 5.11c in 1967. First tr of bagatelle 5.12d in 1967 or was it 1973. The list goes on .He still climbs at DL to this day.
Of note is the fact that most of us who remember the lake as a great place to climb also moved away ,to save ourselves somehow from the torture.
I climbed there from 1973 to about 1985 before i moved to colorado. I climbed with the DLFA and the likes of Prunes Bechler,Billy Russell,Dave Salisbury, Barry Rugo,mike clifford,rob lemon,brian simes,dale moir,Bill McChesney(chez),keith ned guy ,tommy deuchler,pigs in space,arturo,dean ailer, dave groth,and a host of other derelicts whos names escape me right now. we had the time of our lives.no doubt. Ionce saw billy throw up no less than 4 times in 24 hours. Some of the antics that prunes did were pretty out rageous too.lots of twisted stories and escapes from the law. and some hard climbing to boot.pull down cut loos , throw up. peace and fuk-nes steve s.
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prunes
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 01:36am PT
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prunes
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 01:40am PT
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prunes
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 01:47am PT
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steve s
Trad climber
eldo
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Dec 16, 2009 - 10:28am PT
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Nice pics prunes. we need more of the firearms type and maybe some puking.
Anyway did we mention that not only is there killer climbing on the multi-colored quartzite and 2 sandstone areas,but there is a lake with killer swimming also. Great on a hot and humid midwest day after climbing to freshing up before going to the bars. I remember when D.Cilley came to visit and we would go swimming but Dick would always hold his hands out of the water so as not ruin his callouses. When the lake would freeze we would ice skate on it, or brian sime would drive his car out onto the ice and billy would solo aid the cesarian tower while brian and dave shot holes in the door of his car and maybe a few shots towards bill too. Only a 22 cal at the time so relatively harmless.
Some climbers I forgot ot mention , John Baldwin,Barney schaffer, Leo h., and Ken Sals(2 time everest summitter,solo ascent of iron hawk on el cap and all around bad ass) Fuk-nes now,fuk-nes forever an df-nes for the revolution. peace steve s. aka Jack Ness
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2009 - 10:57am PT
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Al- That is history in spades!!! Just what I was hoping for...Would you care to post some of those early guidebooks if they will take being scanned? It would be very cool to see who did what. Any John Turner routes here?
The Dave Slinger, Mr. Greenjeans sandbag story is priceless! He must have had a blast burning off those college kids...LOL
Anyhow, thanks for fleshing the place out historically. Lots of love for this spot!!!
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Dec 16, 2009 - 12:16pm PT
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Hi Steve, Unfortunately I have neither the tech-ability nor the equipment to scan Errol's guidebook. Maybe I'll be able to figure out something eventually, but not in the near future--sorry.A fair number of his route descriptions are contained the Swartling guidebook.I agree with Rich, that we had little contact with the CMC climbers.They kept largely to themselves and had little interaction with the college-age "regulars(and there were only about 20 or so of the latter at any one time in those days--a far cry from the crowd scene only a few years later).It did appear, from the times that we did run into them, that guys like Ollie Swartling and Bill Widule were good climbers, but still weren't climbing at the level of Goldstone, et al.Roger Wiegand was climbing pretty much at that level, but during most of those years was away from the Lake (grad school?)so wasn't climbing there regularly. I'm not aware of any Turner routes at the Lake, and think it is highly unlikely that he would have ventured there from Montreal, especially when he had such a wealth of potential available in eastern Canada and the US northeast. There were a number of other visitors, or temporary midwest residents, who did make important early contributions to Devil's Lake climbing. In addition to Wiessner (who also put up some routes on the very-Dresden-like towers near Camp Douglas in western Wisconsin visible along I-90), Bob Brinton(sp?), a southern Californis climber who was on the FAs of a number of the early routes at Tahquitz(and was notorious for his punning route names, i.e.;From Bad Traverse)made the 1941 FA of the classic Brinton's Crack at D.L.. This climb was rated 5.5 BITD, is 5.6 in the current guidebook, but if my decades old memories are correct is more like 5.7 or 8. A later visitor from California was a young Steve Roper, who is credited with the FA of Berkeley, another classic sandbag. Another interesting visitor in the mid-'60s, was Jim Swallow, a very experienced English climber(he had been on the team that made the FA of Nuptse with Bonington et al). He was a doctor who spent about a year working at the Mayo Clinic. I don't know what his "doctor's persona" was like, but amongst climbers he surely had the grizzled, British hardman attitude, and was particularly noted for his "colorful" language (rgold can tell a great story re:such language when they were in the Tetons together). Anyway, in '64-'65 Jim introduced us to the use of nuts for protection--one of the earliest examples in this country I'm sure. He used reamed-out machine nuts, and had strong possessory feelings about each one. I remember clearly his refusing to let me move on until I was able to retrieve one of his nuts jammed deep in a crack somewhere at the Lake. He'd given me a piece of wire or old coathanger that he used to manuever the nuts out of such placements, and after much struggling on my part and much "colorful encouragement" from Jim, I finally got it out.Following his example a number of us obtained our own nuts and brought them with us(though realistically rarely relied on them)on the relatively rare occasions when we would lead routes. The book I mentioned yesterday about the Stettner's is entitled The Stettner Way, by John Gorby and published by the Colorado Mountain Club. It doesn't contain much detail about the climbing at the Lake but does confirm that the Stettners believed that they were the first to climb there. The article about Dave Slinger that "Edge" referred to was in the Aug.,'77 (#34)issue of Off Belay written by Eric Bjornstadt. That would be another good one to scan in by someone who has both the article and scanning capabilities.
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MH2
climber
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Dec 16, 2009 - 03:26pm PT
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Well done, Mr. Rubin.
I associated with Bill Widule and Ollie Swartling, at least at the CMC campground. Friendly and unassuming types. Ollie was a mason, the bricklaying kind, and took a large format camera into the Italian Group of peaks in British Columbia.
I understood that Dave Slinger had had a seat on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and made a lot of money in pea futures before it was ruled too speculative. I remember him saying that you could expect to make money on 6 out of 10 trades.
Roger Weigand and his wife were both mathematicians, I think. I remember her saying, "I'm in rings."
Laura Jasch should get mention for strong climbing, uninhibited cussing, and the piece in Games Climbers Play. On a trip to Devil's Tower she asked me to "watch the knot" joining the ropes as she started on rappel. It wasn't clear what I was supposed to do if it started unravelling, so after she was down a few feet I yelled "OH NO!" to find out. Didn't learn what I expected.
Then there was Tommy Deuchler associate Dan Freida. Living proof that it is impossible to smoke too much pot. Lived in a teepee, scavanged road kill, got a degree in fine art and taxidermy, was flying through Washington when St. Helens blew and the pilot circled the spectacle for the benefit of the passengers. Also saw Dan Frieda at the Gunks and he gave a demo of the mystical in bouldering. Definitely a big inspiration to me.
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rgold
Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
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Dec 23, 2009 - 08:01pm PT
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Al Rubin wrote: Another interesting visitor in the mid-'60s was Jim Swallow, a very experienced English climber(he had been on the team that made the FA of Nuptse with Bonington et al). He was a doctor who spent about a year working at the Mayo Clinic. I don't know what his "doctor's persona" was like, but amongst climbers he surely had the grizzled, British hardman attitude, and was particularly noted for his "colorful" language.
I loved climbing with Jim; that hard-bitten British attitude was so different from the emerging hippy ambiance of the sixties climbing scene. We did some nice routes in the Tetons together, including the North Face of the Grand and the South Buttress of Moran.
Here's a picture of Jim in the Jenny Lake campground, submitting to a course of carbohydrate replentishment therapy:
On the the Grand, a large flake in a crack crashed down on my foot when I tested it, crushing a toe. (Had I been wearing something less than mountaineering boots, it would have destroyed my entire foot.) So I take off my boot and my toe is now mushroom-shaped with, as it turned out, chipped bones at the tip. Jim the doctor has a look, clucks disapprovingly, and says, "it'll probably turn black and fall off by the morning." Having dispensed with medical matters, we went back to climbing, and that was that.
Here's a shot of Jim leading the crux roof on the North Face of Disappointment Peak (graded 5.8 as I recall, but softer than a baby's bum, as were all Teton grades at the time.) What you can't tell in the picture is that everything is soaking wet from a melting snowfield higher up. Note that the protection Jim arranged consists entirely of threaded runners in true old-school British style.
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Alan Rubin
climber
Amherst,MA.
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Dec 24, 2009 - 12:39pm PT
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Rich, It was great to see those pix of Jim Swallow--it sure has been a long time!!!! They also presented me with a graphic illustration of the different perspectives that time brings. I remember, as a 19 year old, how "old" Jim seemed when I climbed with him, but now, too many decades later, he seems so youthful!!!! Happy Holidays. Alan
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