Clout Buster 

Regarding this climb, I would see the Comments section for "Phat". This is also not a new route. I know for sure of one previous ascent by Ron Long in 1998.

What a bummer! Tom has removed all his FAs. Chester's Chimney was still yours, Tom. Remember, its still a first ascent. It HAS to be recorded previously in order to not be a first ascent. People, I think we got a little "nit-picky" here. Not to start a spat, but we got a little nit-picky.

Also, unless previously recorded, "Phat" was a new variation. Both lines have been done and both have probably been done together. If not on purpose, certainly by accident. However, it wasn't recorded, so there was nothing wrong with Tom claiming a new variation. Besides, he put a twist to something old and thought it was worthy of mention as he found it fun. He has the right to claim that.

Unfortunately, in the Midwest we are cramped and I think we need to take attitudes more like our western brethren who are quite a bit more lackadaisical and take things in softer stride.

Tom. Repost, at least, Chester's Chimney. That one was yours.

I still suggest you make a specific section for Lines & Variations. This way, if anyone has a new twist to an old route, they can post it. After all, the guide book lists no such things. Put simply, there are a lot of new variations possible at Devil's Lake. Hell, string two together that make an old route more interesting and, viola! That is a new line. Its standard practice the world over.

Let's not pick at each other, unless there is documented proof. Please?

Usually within climbing circles, If you think you have climbed a new route, you ask around to see if anyone else has climbed it. If you come back with a resounding "No, no one has climbed it", then you know the route is a first ascent.

In this instance, Clout Buster has been climbed before. So it is not a new route. Really, who cares? Tom was bold enough to put a name on a heretofore unnamed route. This boldness should be commended--although naming the route should not automatically allow you to claim the FA. If you notice, no FA's are listed in the Swartling guide. To concretely pin down the FA on some DL routes, I imagine, would be an exercise in futility. How far back do you go? Did the Stettners climb it? If so, who saw them? These questions lead you down the shady rabbit hole of abstract and unreliable memories. Not a pleasant task, and one that Swartling chose to forego.

To be clear here, I am not claiming the FA on this route, though I climbed it years before the listing here..... as for it not being "recorded"... before sites like this,who was I going to tell? I had only been climbing at the lake for a few years, and am deffinetly not part of any "in crowd"...... Besides, it seemed like such an obvious line to me I assumed it had been done long before I did it.

I think Jay has a good point; when you deal with a place like Devils Lake (that has such a long but some what vague climbing history).... do your research before you claim to be the first to climb something..... after all that is what a FA is.... First Ascent, not First Spray...

Perhaps listing things on this site as a FA? might clear the air........

To alleviate this FA problem I changed the previous "FA" routes I listed so that they don't indicate FA. I also removed the "FA" table that used to be at the bottom of the "Rock" page. For all future unnamed routes I will refrain from indicating "FA", and I encourage all others to do the same unless you've done the requisite homework mentioned in the above comments.

I think a clearing house like this is a great place to find out if you have made a first ascent, again I would recomend it be posted as FA?

To be clear, and not some "anounymous coward", I did not use my name on the earlier postings here because I was not entered.... I am now!

Jay. That is what I am talking about. You understand. Just saying that it is a new line, variations, ah, whatever. Not a new route, but a new claim. Ya, know? That's all.

A very fun route - stemming and chimmneying the three faces down low and a testy move or two up high. Good gear when you want it.