Climbing Mentor - Devils Lake

Hello, I’m looking for a climbing mentor. I have some experience, but I’m struggling to consistently get on rock. I have a good amount of TR anchor building experience and have had formal Trad/Sport education from AMGA guides. I’ve also done some multi-pitch climbing. I have all the gear, including a double rack, nuts, ropes, slings, and draws.

I prefer a current or former AMGA SPI or higher.

I’m a first responder with an unconventional work schedule, so I’m often free during the day on weekdays.

Cheers! 

Jacob James could probably help you

If you want to climb weekdays contact me. I am not a mentor. Just a climber that climbs on weekdays for less crowd.

Sooooo you're looking for a guide? Hire a guide then? Seems strange to ask for someone who's going to partner up with you for free to have their SPI if you aren't paying them, unless you are already experienced or strong or qualified in some other way, which it sounds like you aren't. 

I mean this respectfully I just find this post kind of strange. Am I out of line here?

Would be down to meet up in the near future. I was in a similar boat trying to find some solid climbers to follow and learn from. I was trying to get a guide to do some formal trad training this spring but got rained out. Some friends and I are enrolled in a make up class now for mid October. We have some decent experience with trad anchors, and multi pitch. We have done a few easy leads at the lake but wanted to take the class to build more confidence in the gear. We are based out of Illinois so not sure if you would be interested in a meet up sometime but in case you do, feel free to message. Good luck and be safe out there sorry if there are delays in response I don’t frequently check mp 

Hey Danny! We're in a unique situation here in the Midwest. Our lil backwater crag here at DL can feel a lil behind the times. In a rural area, the latest technology and safety standards can take a while to catch on with recreational climbers. Luckily, we're living thru an awesome time to be a DL climber with lots of psyched young climbers getting on the sharp end (I might argue) now more than ever before!

If you're looking for accredited climbing mentors (which it sounds like you're not unfamiliar with seeking out amga guides - that's awesome! We're constantly urging people to seek out qualified instructors, wouldn't want "the blind leading the blind" when it comes to systems we trust our very lives on!) You can rest assured that by seeking out qualified instruction, you're doing your part to raise the safety & competency of all Midwestern climbers.

My employer Garrett Hopkins is a certified amga apprentice rock guide and has several mentorship programs with recreational climbers here at Devils Lake. Like I said, the scene at DL right now is very active! Even when he's not guiding, you rarely won't see him out at the crag on a daily basis. We live in Baraboo and climb at the Lake almost everyday. https://apexadventurealliance.com/

Hope this helps, and stay psyched! Welcome to the scene

I would recommend the Chicago Mountaineering Club. They climb up there a few times a month. I’ve joined them a few times and they have always been great people.

I would second hiring a guide. They'll work on your schedule, rather than you having to chase flaky weekday partners.

Speaking from experience, getting a guide for a day can speed up the learning process significantly, and you'll know the techniques are legit. There's a lot of bizarre, outdated shenanigans going on at Devils Lake, even among community clubs and institutions. Yeah, a guide costs money, but its actually quite economical for how much you can learn in a short amount of time (compared with repeatedly lining up partners & hopefully learning slowly via osmosis). You end up with a much more efficient, effective day out.

Hi Danny,

Kenz was nice enough to shamelessly plug me. There are some really solid guide outfits based in the midwest that would be more than happy to work with you one-on-one.

I may be a little biased given my career, but the value in hiring a guide is unmatched. They're there to just focus on what you need and make the day exactly what you want it to be. Early in the game, this can drastically accelerate learning some of those foundational skills that will ultimately make you a more solid climber and climbing partner which will grow your potential partner base and allow you to skip over having to figure out if someone actually knows their stuff or not when you yourself may not even know what you don't know. You'll be able to be a little more discerning of your climbing partners. 

 I work with a number of climbers and play somewhat of a "coach" role. I guide them a few times every season and we work on some specific goals they have. Whether it's building foundational trad skills or working up to a bigger objective. We often book days in areas in other parts of the country to climb longer routes and build more skills. This kind of mentorship is something that Apex specializes in. 

Eric Barnard at Big River Climbing Guides is also an exceptional guide and educator. He's been guiding professionally for over 3 decades and was recently nominated for "Guide of the Year" with the AMGA. He's also a university professor so outside of summer, his schedule is less flexible, but his experience as a guide and personal climbing resume pretty much speak for themselves and he will give you more in a day or two than you might get in a full season with an outing club or a partner who may also be focused on their own goals. 

My own learning to climb experience was very "trial by fire" so I'm pretty motivated to help folks avoid that kind of thing and just be safe and go big

If you hike all my shit up the CCC I'll let you watch as I bungle the crux beta on Brinton's Direct 5.8+(+)

Jacob Miller wrote:

If you hike all my shit up the CCC I'll let you watch as I bungle the crux beta on Brinton's Direct 5.8+(+)

Don't trust this guy. He brings a #5 and #6 for regular cragging days for "training weight"

+1 for Garrett and Kenz of Apex Adventure Alliance. I've worked alongside them and can attest from personal experience to their desire to keep the community safer and empowered through their top notch work