Moondust

Beer and Booty

Sunken Pillar

Red Pulpit

Invitation Direct

Watermarks Direct

Spring Fever

Joy Ride

Watermarks Left Side

Bifurcation

New Box

12 5.9 dihedral

Morning After

Mr. Neutron

22 5.8 face climb

AAHRG

Indigo Billy

Invitation

False Dilemma

6.63 Smoots

Basswood Chimney

Watermarks

13 5.4 Corner

Switch Cover Crack

Unnamed Short route

Grandma's Staircase

Der Glotz

Der Glotzenlinks

R.S.V.P.

Law and Gospel

Fear and Trembling

Night Before

Watermarks Traverse

Riders on the Storm

Overhanging corner and steep arete on the outside corner left of Moondust.

Friend John Markestad and I have been working the face between Fear and Trembling and Red Pulpit. This is a truly lovely 5.10a/b unleadable (at least we wouldn't try it) climb and my favorite on the whole Balanced Rock Wall. The first crux is getting off the ground (no surprise there) and the next is a simple looking little bulge about 12 feet up. Ignore the juggy holds on the left higher up and you have a climb that every move is at least a 5.8. All moves are small face stuff with no cracks or large holds. Very elegant! We are calling it "Beer and Booty" since it took me 3 beers before I could pull the second crux and John found a #5 hex while setting the top pro.

Sunken Pillar is directly behind the Oak Tree between Der Glotz and Red Pulpit.  Start out on either crack (left is a little better quality).  Use blocky hand and foot holds to climb up.  Once the cracks diverge follow either crack up.  The upper half of the left crack is really nice for side-pull moves. 

  To set up the Top Rope for this climb the biners should be to the northwest of the Balanced Rock.

The Red Pulpit sits slighty to the left of the oak tree that sits near the southeast half of the Balanced Rock Wall.  You can identify the route by finding the "pulpit" sticking out the of the rock about 15 feet up.  Start out just to the left of the pulpit on a very thin crack (the crux is getting off the ground).  Climb up the crack and pass the pulpit on your right.  Stand on the pulpit for a rest, then continue up the crack to the top. 

  Want a lovely variation? After the first crack, keep going staight up; don't go to the pulpit. You have a couple of very nice, balancy 5.8 moves. You'll like it!

Climb the small crack left of Invitation. The crack moves left as the climb continues. Crux is near the top.

Watermarks Direct is located just to the right of Watermarks.  Start to the right of the small ledge on Watermarks, with the two triangular pockets directly above you.  Use small side-pull face holds and foot ledges to ascend the route up to the triangular pockets.  From here the route links up with Watermarks.  Climb the vertical crack to the top.

Work your way up the center of the slab until you reach the overhang. Go to the right and up past the overhang to the top.

Start as in Watermarks, at ledge, climb up and slightly left into a small inside corner below an overhang, step out right, and the rest is easy.

Locate a short, right facing corner with a chockstone at the top of the corner where it hits a ledge/alcove.   

  Climb the slab, pull past the chockstone (crux), stand up in the alcove and turn the corner on the left.  Jaunt up the crack and top out.

New Box sits just to the right of the dirt and rock slope in the inside corner.  Climb the inside corner using either the crack or ledges.  Once the corner diminishes into a crack, either continue straight up on the crack (harder) or move slightly right to the ledges on the face (easier).

page 168 "climber guide to devil's lake" #12 unnamed 5.9   Start from dirt and rock slope on left side of the gully. Climb wall a few feet right of inside corner into a shallow dihedral to top.

Locate the thin, discontinuous crack to the right of Watermarks. This is Morning After, and in my opinion, the best route on the wall. The crux involves switching from laying back one side of the crack, to laying back the other. The movement on this climb, the tricky footwork,  forces the climber into an elegant vertical dance.

Mr. Neutron sits to the right of the dirt and rock slope on the outside corner and adjacent face.  Climb up the corner and face using ledges.  Do not use the inside corner.

Page 168 "climber's guide to devil's lake" unnamed 5.8   Start an arms reach from west end of wall. Climb horizontal edges top, or traverse right on large horizontal to roof with crack running through the middle.

AAHRG! is located about 5 feet left of Sunken Pillar and just right of Red Pulpit but stays off of both. The crux, in my opinion, is the start. The first couple of moves on smaller edges and sidepulls to gain larger holds are an exercise in balance and power. Be sure to stay out of the crack on Sunken Pillar and off the large ledge of Red Pulpit. Finishes on large, open ledge.

This is the arete between Fear and Trembling and New Box. If you aren't humping the arete, you are off route. Crux is about 11' up at a "roof"; a block about one foot square.  Lots of 5.7 and 5.8 moves on the climb.

Start near the left side of the wall at the large crack.  Climb the crack straight up to a ledge about 20 feet up.  Either walk off left or continue to the top.

False Dilemma is the clean cut off-width crack above the chockstone on Bifurcation. There are two ways to get to it: climb bifurcation or; climb Moondust and step right onto the chockstone once you've topped out on Moondust. I used a handstack to get into the crack, from there chickenwings and smearing with the left foot brought me to the top for the iconic Devil's Lake sloper top out.

Between the inside corner of New Box and the outside corner of Mr. Neutron is a four foot wide face.  This climb goes right up the middle using no holds of the other climbs.  This is a very continuous climb with almost every move a 5.7 or tougher.  You could lead it by putting pro in the New Box crack.   The name is because it is 37' high.

Easy chimney climb on jugs. There's a short variation in a crack on the right after climbing 15ft to a ledge 5.5

Watermarks is considered by many to be the ultimate moderate climb at the park.  This may or may not be your opinion.  The route has some nice moves and fun sequences, and it is easy to get to as it's right on the trail.   

  Watermarks is easily located by finding the water stains on the southeast end of the Balanced Rock Wall.  Climb easily up to a small ledge.  Traverse right carefully on this ledge until you reach the two triangular pockets.  Use the two triangular pockets to make your way up to a slight bulge in the rock.  Use the crack and small face holds to surmount the bulge (crux).  Continue up crack to the top.

page 168 "Climber's guide to devil's lake" unnamed 5.4 corner.  Climb inside corner of of large ledge past protruding chockstone

Follow an obvious crack starting in an inside corner up the face past a diagonally wedged chockstone.  Stay on the left side of the chockstone.

The crux is a slight transition from the inside corner to a large ledge.

Climb up the easy ledges on the arete until you reach an overhang.  Step to the right and climb the face to the top.

Der Glotz is a great route situated between Watermarks and Sunken Pillar. It follows a right-trending diagonal ledge up to some tough moves up along the left side of the zig-zag overhangs of Watermarks Left Side. To climb get up onto the diagonal ledge and use careful hands to work right until ledge runs out. At the top of the ledge reach up to a rectangular pocket. Pull up on this pocket and move your feet up so you can get your feet up into this pocket. From here there are 2-3 side-pull holds. Pull and lean right, and move up past zig-zag overhangs to easier terrain.

 To set up the Top Rope for this climb your anchor should be directly below the Balanced Rock.

The wall between Der Glotz and Sunken Pillar is a superb face climb and would be done more often if it was given a name! The route starts in the same spot as Der Glotz but, where that goes up and right, Der Glotzenlinks goes straight up. There are several solid 5.8 moves on this very pretty route. This doesn't use the same holds or cross and other route.  It has been done many times but has never had a name.

Fun but short climb that features mostly layback moves up a medium-sized vertical rail. The crux is moving off the rail and grabbing a small bulge of rock to the left.

This route starts directly under the "pulpit" on the Red Pulpit and goes straight up over it.  Above the pulpit, keep going straight up to the right of the Red Pulpit crack route.  The first 12' are the crux.

Fear and Trembling is located on the southeast half of Balanced Rock Wall on the face just to the right of New Box and Mr. Neutron.  The start of the climb is the crux.  Use small holds and smearing to get up to easier climbing.  The corner to the left is off.  Once you get up to the large ledge continue to the top by either using the corner or climb straight up the center of the upper face (5.10d).

The ultimate Devil's Lake squeeze job, Night Before climbs the six feet of rock between Watermarks Direct and Morning After. The start is the hardest part and the climbing quickly degrades to a question of routefinding with the climber continually asking his belayer: "Is this hold on?"  

  Chances are, though, that the hold you just grabbed is off route and that you didn't actually  "send" Night Before. Fear not, as there are many definitive lines at Devil's Lake more worth your time.

Starting on the right (east) side of the downhill facing Watermarks Wall on good ledges near a tree cluster, pull on and traverse left about 50 feet encountering many fun and balancey moves along the way with plenty of good rests. Once you hit an obvious left facing corner with a crack, you can step off. If you stay low it probably adds a grade.

Very thin face climb a few feet left of the corner. The guide books don't say so, but I assume the corner to the right (Joy Ride) is off.

The Balanced Rock Wall is one of the most popular climbing spots at Devil's Lake, and it's also a good place to go to impress day hikers since the Balanced Rock Trail passes along the base of the wall.  The Balanced Rock Wall is a 40 foot wall containing the classic climb Watermarks (5.8), along with a handful of other moderate and enjoyable climbs.  Access is fairly easy and straight forward, and the quality of the climbs is high.  The only downside to the formation is the likelihood that you'll encounter a lot of people throughout the day.  If you're looking to show off, this is the place for you.  If you're looking for solitude, steer clear.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 2. Balanced Rock Wall