Type: Trad, TR, 120 ft
FA: unknown
Page Views: 9,497 total · 48/month
Shared By: Tom Anderson-Brown on Oct 11, 2002
Admins: Burton Lindquist, Doug Hemken, James Schroeder, chris tregge

You & This Route


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Description

Cheatah is a great, sustained climb on the long east face of Bill's Buttress. Start out by getting above a small 10" overhang using a few key foot placements (be prepared to stretch). Once above the overhang things get slightly easier using the finger crack. About 2/3's up there is a nearly blank face with a 10 foot crack. Use a combination of a layback and finger jams to conquer this section.

For a proper ascent, avoid the jugs on right arete during the crux moves up the thin seam.

From there to the top things get easier.

Protection

Smaller range of stoppers or cams

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Photos

Jules Cho. Photo by Andrew Burr.
Jules Cho. Photo by Andrew Burr.
 8
Nate Erickson on Cheatah. Sept '11.
Nate Erickson on Cheatah. Sept '11.
 7
Burt was convinced he could get a tiny wire in ...
Burt was convinced he could get a tiny wire in ...
 6
Steve Dew on Cheatah
Steve Dew on Cheatah
 3
Stew nearing the top of Cheetah, almost knocking off a very important piece of the photographers equipment. The swill.
Stew nearing the top of Cheetah, almost knockin…
 3
Aaron enters the crux on "cheatah"
Aaron enters the crux on "cheatah"
 3
M Robinson mid route (Photo W. Moss)
M Robinson mid route (Photo W. Moss)
 3
Katie photo of me on Cheatah a while back.
Katie photo of me on Cheatah a while back.
 3
Nate on Cheatah.
Nate on Cheatah.
 2
Keller on Cheetah
Keller on Cheetah
 2
Jules Cho. Photo by Andrew Burr.
Jules Cho. Photo by Andrew Burr.
 1
The last delicate move
The last delicate move
 1

23 Comments

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Jay Knower
Campton, NH
  5.10b
Jay Knower   Campton, NH  
  5.10b
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. Oct 30, 2002
Tom Anderson-Brown
Madison, WI
  5.10b
Tom Anderson-Brown   Madison, WI
  5.10b
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! Jul 12, 2004
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward  
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. Aug 16, 2004
Steve Sangdahl
eldo sprngs,co
  5.10a
Steve Sangdahl   eldo sprngs,co
  5.10a
i concur,,this is a killer 5.10a lead,great climbing and good gear and a bit longer than most dl routes Mar 26, 2005
Andrew May
Westminster, CO
 
Andrew May   Westminster, CO
 
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. Sep 22, 2006
JJ Schlick
Flagstaff, AZ
 
JJ Schlick   Flagstaff, AZ  
 
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... Nov 8, 2006
Ian Schmit
  5.10a
Ian Schmit  
  5.10a
An excellent lead. Fairly sustained but perhaps due to my height I felt it was similar in difficulty to Congratulations. Nov 13, 2006
mattso
  5.10a/b
mattso  
  5.10a/b
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. Feb 15, 2007
Andy Hansen
Longmont, CO
  5.10b
Andy Hansen   Longmont, CO
  5.10b
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. Nov 16, 2009
Doug Hemken
Madison, WI
Doug Hemken   Madison, WI  
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. Nov 16, 2009
Andy Hansen
Longmont, CO
  5.10b
Andy Hansen   Longmont, CO
  5.10b
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. Nov 16, 2009
Mark Wenzel
Mark Wenzel  
I took a big whipper off of the finishing moves when a wire pulled, I had pulled the crux, but messed up the easy exit mantle thingy (circa 1984ish).

Didn't help that it was my belayers first time holding the rope for a lead, much less a fall from a larger than average guy. Nov 12, 2010
Josh Knapp
East Troy, Wisconsin
  5.10b
Josh Knapp   East Troy, Wisconsin
  5.10b
Despite its looks this route has great gear, a weird but bomb .5 c4 protects the first crux. Then the rest rest takes good gear the whole way up. Fantastic lead, great moves, and a must do! Jun 19, 2011
highnoonhilltopper
 
highnoonhilltopper  
 
Aliens place much better than c4's on the lower half of this route. Nov 23, 2011
Tradiban
 
Tradiban  
 
Yes, but why is that true? I've found the bottom of this kinda hard to protect considering that its considered one of better protected climbs in the park. Nov 24, 2011
Andy Hansen
Longmont, CO
  5.10b
Andy Hansen   Longmont, CO
  5.10b
This is a well protected lead if you've had some DL rock craft under your belt. I wouldn't say that this is a route easy to protect, but it does take gear none the less. A better 10 lead would be... Congrats, Sometime, Green Slime, etc. Nov 24, 2011
Remo
Madison, WI
 
Remo   Madison, WI
 
Jay's comment up top sums it up. Great lead! Jul 10, 2012
Joel Allen
La Crosse, WI
  5.10b
Joel Allen   La Crosse, WI
  5.10b
You can place gear almost anywhere on the route. I was being a baby and placed like 15 pieces. Crux gear for me was an awesome 0.3 which I got to test when popping off reaching for the finger lock. Fantastic climb, go do it! Oct 12, 2015
Joel Allen
La Crosse, WI
  5.10b
Joel Allen   La Crosse, WI
  5.10b
Does anyone know what the grade is for aiding this? I did it this past weekend but I have no reference with aid grading. The only other aid route I have done is congrats and I think someone said that is C1? This felt quite a bit trickier than congrats but still pretty solid, so still C1? Feb 28, 2016
Doug Hemken
Madison, WI
Doug Hemken   Madison, WI  
Joel, I think I'd call it C2. Occasional gear that you might not want catching a big fall? But never more than one less-than-terrific piece in a row. Once they start stacking up into a house of cards, that's what I think of as C3.

It's probably been 7-10 years since I aided this, so my memory may be playing tricks on me. I remember a couple of cam hook moves I thought were exciting. Feb 29, 2016
Doug Hemken
Madison, WI
Doug Hemken   Madison, WI  
"Thoroughfare" is very similar, as aid. Feb 29, 2016
waxisgood
Madison, WI
 
waxisgood   Madison, WI
 
Solo aided this the other day and i would call it nothing harder than C1. I felt this way because you were never more than one move from a 100% piece. May have to step out of the aiders for the upper bit. Aug 1, 2018
Doug Hemken
Madison, WI
Doug Hemken   Madison, WI  
We seem to agree on the quality of the gear, but not what to call it. Aug 5, 2018