minx Posted September 17, 2003 Posted September 17, 2003 i'll be visiting a friend who recently moved to Madison WI. i'd like to climb when i go. anybody know anything about climbing in that area? Quote
To_The_Top Posted September 17, 2003 Posted September 17, 2003 In case you are afraid to click on a trask link, go to Devils Lake Park. Of course there is buildering on campus... Madison is one of the coolest towns in WI, and a lot to do there. TTT Quote
adventuregal Posted September 17, 2003 Posted September 17, 2003 Minx... I have a guidebook for MN and WI climbing. Not with me at the moment. I will PM you w/ some ideas later... Quote
minx Posted September 17, 2003 Author Posted September 17, 2003 thanks! anything else you guys know about with in a reasonable day's drive would be great. Quote
allthumbs Posted September 17, 2003 Posted September 17, 2003 I took a trip down Memory Lane to Madison, WI a couple of years back. It turned out to be more melancholic than nostalgic (wahhh, why can't I be young again? But with a credit card and with no self consciousness). It seemed very small but then I was driving on streets I'd only walked on as a student. I would guess that 90% of the stores, bars, eateries, and seedy whorehouses that catered to the students had changed names and venues. I still managed to get plastered in the student union but on $3.00 pints of microbrew rather than $1.25 pitchers of Bull Schlitz......mmmmmm, fortified.... Quote
Szyjakowski Posted September 18, 2003 Posted September 18, 2003 devils lake is rad and closeby to madison... no bolts allowed there! Quote
cj001f Posted September 18, 2003 Posted September 18, 2003 minx said: thanks! anything else you guys know about with in a reasonable day's drive would be great. It's not a reasonable drive, but Taylor's Falls MN ain't bad - check out http://climbingcentral.com/ Quote
mtngrrrl Posted September 18, 2003 Posted September 18, 2003 Devil's Lake is about an hour's drive north of Madison. Not far at all. It's pretty much the primo place to climb in the area. You can TR just about everything, if not everything, but you have to set up trad anchors. It's a great way to learn how gear works in cracks and how to set a good anchor. I recommend against using cams in anchors there because anyone can walk along the cliff tops, and years ago, some evil person stole cams from anchors while people were climbing on the setups below. You can set most anchors with hexes, nuts and loads of webbing. You'll see lots of people sporting 20' chains of webbing on their racks to sling trees. A word to the wise: friction is nil as this is quartzite... fast, hard, reliable rock, but not at all sticky. Excellent crack systems abound, and you'll find lots of positive edges. Devil's Lake is also hard as far as ratings go. But with the benefit of being able to TR everything, you can climb like crazy and get a feel for the ratings. There is also a sandstone area near Marrimac and Lodi called Gibraltar Rocks. When I left Wisconsin 5 years ago, it was closed. I had made contact with the Access Fund about working on reopening, but since moving, I don't know the status. There is also someplace down in Illinois, but I can't remember the name. There are a couple of good climbing groups at the university, and you don't have to be a student to join. Most people are post-college age. PM me if you're friend might be interested. I can also make some recommendations on climbs if you like. The area can be overwhelming with over 1500 climbs to choose from. Ahhh, memories of the Lake... I was just flipping through the guidebook reminiscing about my first "big lead" . Thanks for that! Quote
carolyn Posted September 18, 2003 Posted September 18, 2003 Hey Minx, Mtnngrl pretty much summed it up. Nice job! If you have the time and want to head up here to MN, let me know. Its about a4- 5 hr drive from Madison to the cities. I would be happy to show you what we have around here. If you have a good amount of time and are interested a run up to the N.shore would definately be worth it, depending on what time of year. I might even be game for meeting you down at DL. When are you planning on being in the area? If you are planning on heading out to either smith or lworth for the ropeups, I could bring my book for the MN/WI climbing areas. Quote
minx Posted September 18, 2003 Author Posted September 18, 2003 thanks everyone! carolyn i'll be at smith but i'll be going to Madison next week. 9/25-9/30. sounds like DL will probably be the best choice. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.