Cheatah 

Cheatah is one of the best and safest 5.10 leads at Devil's Lake. Imagine Watermarks culminating with a short 5.10 section--both the moves and the pro are very similar. On Cheetah, don't botch the pro going through the initial roof (hint: place one or more cams up and left when you are standing on the starting pedestal). Once past this initial section, bomber gear brings you to the crux--this protects very well (you can effectively build a belay before you launch onto the crux layback). Here you actually have some air between your feet and the ground, unlike the cruxes on many leads of similar difficulty (i.e. Congrats). All in all, I am surprised this route does not see more lead traffic, as it represents a great opportunity to break into the 5.10 grade at the Lake.

Excellent route. I climbed it over the weekend on TR and really enjoyed it. This was my second ascent of the route, and I was able to ascend without any falls, so I went home happy. Get out and climb it!

The start "gets your attention" but the pro is decent and the moves seem easy once completed, the rest of the route is sheer joy, a mix of fingers, hands and lay aways with good pro, topped by a bit of a boulder problem (falls here are safe and spectacular). Probably the best real quartzite route at the lake.

i concur,,this is a killer 5.10a lead,great climbing and good gear and a bit longer than most dl routes

I only toproped it this past weekend. It was my first Devils Lake 5.10. I didnt find it all that difficult. I'm sure its much different on lead, but after the first fifteen feet it was pretty chilled out. I think I had more trouble on Birch Tree Crack than this one. Just my $.02.

Andrew,

Most likely you used whatever was in reach at the top. This would make the top feel pretty cruiser, however the grade given is for staying strictly in the seam at the top never straying too far right. Like so many DL routes there are a few holds that are off. I did recently lead this for the first time in a long time and just used whatever I wanted. It is probably a better route that way...

An excellent lead. Fairly sustained but perhaps due to my height I felt it was similar in difficulty to Congratulations.

Excellent route, I would listen to Jay beta's beta for gear and anyone could lead this. From what I remember congrats is much more of a crack climb, and there are many more face holds on cheeta.

I climbed this route yesterday for the first time and it was an incredible climb- last climb of the day and the rocks were cold but this climb had great movement and kept me moving. However, I stopped as I got to the large ledge after the crux (thin, 10 ft. wall with fingercrack) is there anything "worth" going onto after this part? I was told just to stop after the crux but thinking back on it I don't feel that I really completed the whole climb.

Andy, you *could* stop and belay your partner up to that point, then unrope and just scramble off. The 5.7 corner behind the pine tree isn't too exposed. You should double-check that this is what your partner really has in mind before you commit him to it. (Just giving you a hard time!)

If you are setting up a TR, it's fun to hang the rope out over the nose and finish the route that way, for the sake of the big dynamic moves to jugs and the exposure.

Thanks Doug. I stopped partially because I was "told" to and partially because it was getting dark. But, yeah, the right corner didn't feel as exposed as Cheatah itself did and the last few juggy moves/exposure are worth going back for so I think I'll hit it again next weekend.