Blog2022-05-26T17:39:23+00:00
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Devil’s Lake: 1960s Throwback Post

In the annals of rock climbing history, there are areas and crags that we as climbers recognize instantly: Yosemite. The Gunks. Eldorado Canyon … Sitting oddly in that group is an area that has a wealth of history and for a time held its own for the standards of the day, but is now relatively unknown outside of its local climbers, despite having historical luminaries like the Stettner brothers and John Gill leaving their mark. That area is Devil’s Lake, Wisconsin.

The argument could be made that at the time, Devil’s Lake climbers (and the few outsiders who knew of the place) felt their climbs were too short to be significant; that they were merely “practice” climbs for larger objectives at more famous areas like Yosemite or the Tetons. However, the hardest routes at Devil’s Lake from the ’60s to ’80s rivaled anything being done elsewhere difficulty-wise.

The impetus for this whole post came about in digging through some archival ’60s-era photos for use on our Instagram. We reached out to Rich Goldstone, a climber more famously associated with the Gunks, who had taken the photo in question. He provided many more photos and backstory that seemed too long-form for […]

One For All

Wolverine has been attentively listening to the national conversation about racial and gender inclusivity in climbing, and to the problem of offensive route names. If you’ve been following, and noticed that we’ve been silent, it’s because there has been a lot to absorb and learn.  First, we encourage you to [...]

FACs – First Ascent Climbers

A few years back I was at a party at Kurt “The General” Smith’s house near the New River Gorge. Conversation topics were typical, ranging from the latest antics of some commercial raft guide, to progress on the American Alpine Club campground, to the latest developments at the crag du [...]

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