Pete Cleveland

As all who have met and climbed with Pete, I am heartbroken. Back in the late 70's, Pete traded me his old Buick Wildcat for a stamp collection and $25. As I was very young, he was always tolerant of me and the other climbers camping in his old sauna. His mentoring, led to my lifetime love of Devils Lake and climbing. He also was the only guy I ever met to dig out his basement BY HAND. His wisdom and continued love of climbing is truly inspiring. He will be missed, but never forgotten.

Love, Rudy Rudotis (Jim Rudolph) DLFA circa 1978

Alan Rubinwrote:

..., I discovered that Cleveland's Climb, put up by Pete several years earlier, was the hardest route in Quincy Quarries ( then still unrepeated). In addition to being one of the top free climbers in the country ( though keeping himself well out of the limelight) of the '60s/'70s, he was also an extremely intelligent and accomplished person, and an all-around very nice guy.

Almost every time I returned to the lake in the last decade, Pete would ask if I had done that climb- always competitive!

The photo- summer of 1987, taken below the New Sandstone. No one was more competitive than Pete, and as Dave and Rich and others were really pushing the standards Pete bought a modern pair of rock shoes, started coming out more regularly, and showing us all the huge talent and focus that made him the legend he was. All while enjoying a cigar and talking non-stop across more subjects than all of us collectively could keep up with. 

Peter Cleveland, polymath and pull-down master.

Here is an early photo of Pete - about 1978 

And the big blue house undergoing an early repaint. Many climbers called this home for camping. The rangers were BAD back in the 70's, but no hassles at Pete's.

Rest in peace to one of the greats, not just of DL but in the climbing world. I don't know if we ever formally exchanged names, but one of the beautiful things about Pete was that such formalities didn't really matter- we had many friendly conversations over the years about everything and nothing. Ran into Pete a couple weeks ago and got into a discussion on the healthcare system locally and as a whole. I don't know if either of us had the time for such a weighty and lengthy topic in that moment (we both had people waiting on us and places to be), but I also don't think that really mattered. Such was the way of it when having a chat with Pete. You never knew what topic you'd inevitably drift into but it was always going to make you think. The image of him from that day, coiling up his rope at the top of the Pantry on a beautiful bluebird day with the lake in the background sums up so much of the DL climbing experience and it's how I'll remember him and our last conversation. 

Leo Hskiwrote:

Almost every time I returned to the lake in the last decade, Pete would ask if I had done that climb- always competitive!

Leo, Cleveland's Climb at Quincy Quarries became 'one with the talus' years ago ( late '70s, if I remember correctly). It was an anamoly at the Quarries--a strenuous and awkward roof climb in the land of slabs and polished micro-crimps. As with so many of Pete's routes, it was well ahead of it's time when he first did it.

In my Senior year of High School, 1966-67, Sheldon Smith, my brother Dave, and I carried on a very-friendly competition with Pete when he became a regular at the Lake. We would put up new routes or lead old top rope problems and he did the same. Our styles were different: We always led ground-up, sometimes fell, as we prepared for the Eiger, haha. Pete did new routes on top rope or with a move of aid and then came back and bravely led them all free. Invariably, Pete's climbs were always harder because of this and because Pete was way stronger than I was. For those interested in numbers, I believe, after some research, that Super Pin was the world's first X-rated, ground-up 5.11a lead. Son of Great Chimney, 5.11c, a few months later, was the world's 4th or 5th hardest on sight First Ascent. Pete was a world class climbing legend and a great man. My best wishes to his family.

I started climbing at DL in 1970 and from 1971-'73, I was climbing at The Lake every Sunday. I had many an encounter with Pete, this was from a long afternoon session on Gill's Nose. Scott Stewart, on the left, and Pete comparing moves.

Wow there’s no words. You’re the king Pete, we’ll miss you brother.

I can tell you there’s nowhere he would have rather taken his last breath than at the top of that bluff.

Two or three years ago a big oak tree fell in Pete’s yard. He was out there swingin his ‘big saw’, I stopped and offered a hand. He let me roll the cookies but wouldn’t hear of handing that saw over. Ol’ boy could still buck a log with the best of ‘em.

Thanks for getting this rolling Garrett, really cool. Hope things are great for you guys. The lake calls us all home.. sooner or later. I’ll see you again
-one from the golden road

Most interesting conversation you’d ever find, will never forget Pete telling me about interviewing Jeffrey Dahmer in prison. What a trip..

Rest easy friend 

NY Times article 

RIP Pete

  nytimes.com/2025/10/08/us/p…

RIP Pete - I met Pete back around ‘93-‘95 while working at Ski Hi - pretty sure Tommy introduced us over a few beers. When I settled into the Devil’s Lake scene and made my home at Wheelers Campground, Pete quickly became a good friend and mentor in all things ….climbing, VW repairs, beer, and life. He was a true gem of a human - steady, kind, and always up for an adventure. My deepest condolences to Dan and Amy. 

I recall talking with Pete back in the 1960s about his dissatisfaction with careers available to those, like himself, who had gotten a PhD in chemistry. I believe he received his degree at Iowa State or the U of Iowa, but found himself looking at a teaching job, and he didn't want that. So he enrolled in a government program that turned PhDs in the sciences into MDs in 2 or 3 years. I'm surprised no one has mentioned that, not even the TYT article. 

His dissertation, I think, was climbing related: How nylon rope or slings deteriorated under sunlight. 

If I am wrong, please correct me.

In some good news, Robbie Elsbury skipped the memorial service for Pete and sacked up and onsighted Son of Great Chimney at Devil's Lake this past Saturday instead. Pete did the FA in the early 60's ground up and onsight. At the time, it was an absolutely cutting edge climb and is still an amazing testpiece route for Midwest Climbers. 

Jim Ericksonwrote:

In my Senior year of High School, 1966-67, Sheldon Smith, my brother Dave, and I carried on a very-friendly competition with Pete when he became a regular at the Lake. We would put up new routes or lead old top rope problems and he did the same. Our styles were different: We always led ground-up, sometimes fell, as we prepared for the Eiger, haha. Pete did new routes on top rope or with a move of aid and then came back and bravely led them all free. Invariably, Pete's climbs were always harder because of this and because Pete was way stronger than I was. For those interested in numbers, I believe, after some research, that Super Pin was the world's first X-rated, ground-up 5.11a lead. Son of Great Chimney, 5.11c, a few months later, was the world's 4th or 5th hardest on sight First Ascent. Pete was a world class climbing legend and a great man. My best wishes to his family.

Jim, 

Dave just gave my S/O, Kenz several boxes of old slides from when you guys were teenagers. Working on digitizing all of them. Some rowdy stuff you guys got up to BITD. Hoping to compile a cohesive history of the Lake with a bunch of photos. 

Love the stories. Pete was one of the best to ever do it

Wow, I'd love to see those slides!!! Jim and Dave's crew---the Racine Crag Rats, definitely had their ' rowdy moments', along with doing a lot of very impressive climbing. One of my early encounters with them saw them, still well under age, hauling a 'case' up the Leaning Tower for a party. While Jim, and, to a lesser extent, Dave's climbing achievements are well known, there were others equally talented in that very small group--most notably Sheldon McMillan/Smith, who sadly left us much too young, who was arguably the best technical climber of the group.

The Lake climbing community in the mid-60s, while small, included several distinct and colorful groups and individuals, which contributed to a unique and creative 'scene'. It is interesting that a good number of the Lake activists of that era went on to make significant contributions to other climbing areas across the country as well as some finding significant success in future non-climbing endeavors.

Alan Rubinwrote:

Wow, I'd love to see those slides!!! Jim and Dave's crew---the Racine Crag Rats, definitely had their ' rowdy moments', along with doing a lot of very impressive climbing. One of my early encounters with them saw them, still well under age, hauling a 'case' up the Leaning Tower for a party. While Jim, and, to a lesser extent, Dave's climbing achievements are well known, there were others equally talented in that very small group--most notably Sheldon McMillan/Smith, who sadly left us much too young, who was arguably the best technical climber of the group.

The Lake climbing community in the mid-60s, while small, included several distinct and colorful groups and individuals, which contributed to a unique and creative 'scene'. It is interesting that a good number of the Lake activists of that era went on to make significant contributions to other climbing areas across the country as well as some finding significant success in future non-climbing endeavors.

Shoot Kenz a message! The work for the 2nd edition of the the DL Climbing Zine has begun and the plan is to feature as much of the climbing history at DL as possible

I'm very touched reading all these incredible stories about PC. If anyone who has shared stories is feeling inspired, I'd love to include a long form essay about Pete Cleveland in a book I'm putting together about Devils Lake's extensive history. Pete's cutting-edge talents were way ahead of his time, and he was such an instrumental pillar of the early pioneering years at DL. He deserves a very large spot in the Lake's written history.

If you'd like more info about the book I'm putting together, you can read about it here, or reach out to me directly.

Ideally, I'd love to collect both photos of Pete and written stories. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have something. I'd love to include as much as I can, Pete was such an instrumental part of our community for many decades. PC deserves to be remembered forever.