Mountain Project: Climbing Devil's Lake > East Bluff

The East Rampart is the most popular climbing area at Devil's Lake. It is a quarter-mile long cliff band containing the highest concentration of climbs at the park. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on how many people you like around you when you climb. The area undoubtedly contains some of the finest climbs at the Lake, and the climbs are generally long (some over 100 feet) and exposed. You are apt to find that no matter how early you've come to climb that famous route someone else has already claimed it. But rest assured, there are plenty of other classics to choose from in the event you arrived a little too late. You'd be crazy to avoid the area solely because of the crowds. This is, after all, the most popular climbing area at the park for a reason.

Getting There

To get to the East Rampart park at the CCC parking lot and cross the road to pick up the CCC hiking trail. The trail consists of rock steps that climb through the woods and up the talus field for a good 15-30 minute hike. When you get to "The Monster", a 20 foot wall, take a left at the "T" in the trail until you get to the "Pedestal Buttress". At this point, you can turn right and around D'Arcy's Buttress to access the top of the cliff (and many access gullies) or you can go left to access the bottom of the cliff. Go right only if your climb is located at "Many Pines Buttress" or east. If your climb is west of there, take the upper trail and descend to the base of the climb via the "Leaning Tower" gully.

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By Anonymous
Mar 14, 2002

not to be nit-picky... but it is only, at most, a 15min hike to the top (even with that aid rack and portaledge you're bringing to practice with).

By Tom Anderson-Brown
From: Madison, WI
Mar 15, 2002

You're right. I was going for worst-case (spare tire) scenario. But you are definitely correct.

By Stephen D. Schaefgen
Apr 13, 2002

Hey! I resent...er...uh...resemble that remark! Some of you may be better hikers than others, but let us not offend them! It all depends. Just give a distance and altitude gain and and average time. It isn't an easy hike, then again, neither were the mountains I summited! Let us not pick on the other people. Some of us DO climb with a spare tire.

Steve

By Anonymous
Apr 24, 2002

I used to think this hike was long and hard until I moved to Colorado. Tom - Great work on the site. I learned to climb at the lake and have moved on to bigger things, but I'll be back some day and will use the site often then. Keep it up! Mark Morehouse

p.s. Check ClimibingBoulder.com if you're going anywhere in Colorado, it's stacked with beta!

By Brian Milhaupt
From: Golden, CO
May 5, 2002

When they first started the sister sites to this one they were pretty useless. There was alot of negativity surrounding how people would use or abuse it, and how benefitial it would really be. Now they have become a very useful tool for front range climbers. Just keep things positive, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

By Steve Sangdahl
From: eldo sprngs,co
Mar 31, 2005

this area is one of the best places to climb at dl as proven by it having been worked to death by decades of midwest climbers.it is a great place to pull down whether you top-rope or lead.there are scores of 3 star routes to climb. lets be careful out there!

By mike suarez
Oct 3, 2005

i am new to aiding and I was wondering if some of you could recommend some good beginner aid(clean) routes around southern wisco. thanks-ms

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East Bluff - East Rampart

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Getting There