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Zig-Zag

5.6, Trad, 35 ft (11 m),  Avg: 2.2 from 65 votes
FA: unknown
Wisconsin > Baraboo Range > Devil's Lake > E Bluff 04 - E… > 04: D'Arcy's Buttress

Description

Between the boulder and the wall, do a move up to the big horizontal ledge. "Zig-Zag" continues more or less up the crack in front of you (while "Easy Overhang" traverses right and up the other crack). The crux is the first few moves off the ledge. Zig left up into the alcove, then zag right back into the crack.

Until 2007 or so there was a large basswood tree (see the photos of "Easy Overhang") that pressed you against the rock at the crux, and provided a convenient point of protection as well. Now that the tree is gone, this route has a much different feel at the crux....

Feels similar to the move left on "The Rack" to me, so I've called it a 5.7 instead of the traditional 5.5.

Location

On the left side of D'Arcy's Buttress, to the right of the chimney. Starts behind the large boulder.

Protection

Medium nuts and medium cams.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Zig-Zag and Darkness at Noon. 
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With a name like "Zig-Zag", why is the red line so straight? Because I don't do spoilers. You'll have to figure out the zigs and zags yourself.
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Also, If you climb only the left side of Zig-Zag, it goes at 5.8.
[Hide Photo] Zig-Zag and Darkness at Noon. With a name like "Zig-Zag", why is the red line so straight? Because I don't do spoilers. You'll have to figure out the zigs and zags yourself. Also, If you climb…
Easy Overhang wall
[Hide Photo] Easy Overhang wall
"Bouldering" Zig Zag
[Hide Photo] "Bouldering" Zig Zag
Toping out Zig Zag on the onsight
[Hide Photo] Toping out Zig Zag on the onsight
Jennifer Jirak
[Hide Photo] Jennifer Jirak

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Joel Allen
La Crosse, WI
  5.5
[Hide Comment] Felt easier than 5.7. Definitely easier than Brinton's, PushMi Pull-Yu, Coatimundi, Peters Project...

Great pro. Would be nice if it was longer though. :) Aug 3, 2015
Jack Servedio
Raleigh, NC
  5.6
[Hide Comment] I thought it was harder than Brinton's for me, at least the one or two moves getting from the ledge just a few feet off the start to the alcove, those moves definitely felt stiff 5.6 with poor feet, though there is a wide array of available protection the entire route.

For the crux, you can easily have a bomber cam at crotch height and a small, but well placed nut at chest height that will keep you off the ground if you blow it.

Oh yeah, the wasps were a second crux 2/3 the way up - slotting a nut into a crack filled with wasps very, very carefully with another 3 or 4 crawling over the hand that is holding on is a delicate operation. Oct 5, 2016