[Hide Comment] Watermarks is a fun climb, plain and simple. It requires a nice variety of movement and, though it does have an identifiable crux, is consistently challenging throughout. I consider this a "must climb" route. Apr 19, 2004

[Hide Comment] watermarks is one of the best at dl.especially fun to climb on a full moon during the "beer ban"(does the dnr still do the beer ban thing?")bring plenty o swill and no flashlights or i.d. Mar 28, 2005

[Hide Comment] If this climb was anywhere else it would not be considered a classic. That's not to say it's a bad climb, I had fun leading it. The hardest climbing is on the first half and that's also the hardest part to protect. To lead it you better be comfortable at placing really small gear and trusting it. That, or use a crash pad and spotter for the start. Jul 6, 2005

[Hide Comment] Stephen:If you don't mind me asking. What do you mean by your comment "if this climb (watermaraks)was anywhere else it would not be considered a classic"? Are Devils Lake "Classic's" any less a "Classic" by virtue of their location at Devils Lake? Please clarify. Jul 7, 2005

[Hide Comment] I meant just what I wrote, and nothing more! I haven't done enough climbing at Devils Lake to be able to form an opinion as to whether or not Watermarks is one of the great moderates in the area. I knew the climb was popular before doing it, and for me, it didn't hold up to all the hype. As I wrote, I still think it's a good climb worth doing. If it sounded like I was degrading the climbing at the Lake, that was not my intention. Jul 9, 2005

[Hide Comment] Set anchors for top roping on the ledge at the top of the climb, not up alongside Balanced Rock. From the base of Watermarks, go to the right and up to find the Box Canyon which is behind the wall. Go into the far SW corner of this, and boulder up about eight feet to get to the ledge. Oct 11, 2006

[Hide Comment] Not a fan of this one and it definitely isn't a climb for a new 5.8 climber. Be careful to protect the middle section, there's a notch where I placed a nut but I didn't have confidence in it. Thankfully there's a good cam placement a bit higher up. Aug 11, 2011

[Hide Comment] From Gokul: mountainproject.com/u/gokul…


Description

This route is a minor variant of Watermarks (and a squeeze job). It starts just to the right of the regular start and goes up between the two black water streaks. After a few tenuous moves, you hit the good ledgy hold on Watermarks about 12' up. From here, you follow Watermarks or Watermarks Direct, or some combination of both.

The starting sidepulls used by Watermarks Direct are about 3 ft to the right of the start here and are off. The starting holds in the main Watermarks crack are also off.

Location

Between the two black streaks that define the starts of Watermarks and Watermarks Direct.

Protection

Bouldery start, then you get gear in Watermarks or Watermarks direct Mar 18, 2015

[Hide Comment] Length: about 50 feet. An excellent face climb, with the first 15 feet calling for rather creative protection (or maybe a bouldering pad). After stepping right into the triangular pockets, good gear in the incipient crack. One of those excellent climbs that has repeated fairly delicate moves, followed by good stances to place gear. Aug 30, 2016

[Hide Comment] I considered the start to be pretty tough, the climb as a whole is a fun one! Oct 12, 2018