Customer Reviews

Climber's Guide to Devil's Lake

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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One would never think of the Midwest as having any great climbing areas. While it isn't Yosemite or Joshua Tree, Devil's Lake in central Wisconsin is one of the country's best climbing spots. This guide details hundreds of great climbs in DL along with maps and climb ratings. Descriptions are short with some beta mixed in and the maps are little confusing. But since most of DL's climbing areas are hidden in the bluffs, the guide is an absolute must. It's also small enough to fit in a back pocket

There is a lot of information packed into this paperback, especially compared to earlier versions by the same author. I like the addition of GPS waypoints for the climbing areas, which are of particular value when the approach directions are brief. It is a great value for only $20, but honestly I wish there were a spiral-bound edition which I'd be willing to pay a lot more for. This fat paperback with a stiff binding won't stay open unless you hold it with both hands or put a big rock on it. It is fairly well illustrated but there is room for improvement there too, some of the drawings are too tiny to pick out much detail, probably again a function of the cheap publishing format. I also wish more information were given on each of the climbs, like how tall the climb is, and whether it is a walk-off or a rap down. There is also little info telling how long or difficult the various approaches are. Maybe I'm spoiled by some other well written guidebooks that I use. But this is a very valuable guide in any case, and certainly a must have for anyone going climbing at Devils Lake.

After receiving this guide, I went to Devil's Lake and put it to use. I found the climbs were hard to find based on the sketches in the book. Since then I have checked out a few other guides and found them much much more helpful. I recommend finding one of these guides that actually provides photographs of some of the climbs so you can get your bearings.

Found this book after getting started in outdoor climbing. There are so many routes there, and this book tries to cover them all. Must have for DL.