Devil's Lake History - Route Names and Gender Warfare

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the area and heard a curious story today about Devil's Lake.

Apparently there was a group of male climbers in the 50s who published a book unofficially re-naming all the routes at DL to fit their more macho, perverse tastes. In response a group of female climbers, calling themselves the Crag Hags, waged a re-naming counterattack.

Does anyone know if this story is true at all, either in part or as a whole? If it is, does anyone know where I can find out more? I'm considering researching this for an environmental history project.

Thanks

Adam

Maybe this is how "Orgasm" and "Orgasm Direct" got there names?

Hello Adam,
It was a group of climbers from the 70's and 80's, the world renound DLFA.
The guide was called, if I remember correctly, the Extremeists guide to DL, or something of that ilk.
It was a great guide. I looked at it once, back in the early to mid 80's. It has been out of print for a long time.
There was a lot of dialog in the letters section of either Cimbing or Rock & Ice, between one DLFA member and one of the crag hags, who I believe was Melissa Quigley. Melissa was very upset about the politically incorrect nature of the new guide. The DLFA guy stood his ground. The result was some of the best controvesial spew ever captured in climbing periodicals.
It sounds like you are getting two tales intertwined. The Vulgarians gave many routes in The Gunks (circa 50's) route names that were undoubtedly offensive to some i.e: Swinging Cunt.

Thanks Tom! This was really helpful information.

Adam

Adam-

I am the author of The Extremist's Guide to Devils Lake New Climbs, a compendium of filth published in 1985 or thereabouts.

A little background: at the time the existing CMC guidebook was horribly out date and did not reflect the significant new route activity. For some reasons hatched late at night in the Square Tap and the Avalon, I decided to compile the above-named guide for two purposes: first, to capture the new routes, first leads, sandstone areas, et al, and to try and bring the ratings in line with other areas using the 5.x system.

There were quite a few routes that did not have names, or at least names widely recognized. We spent many an enjoyable winter's day trekking through the woods to the remote areas (e.g. American Dream area), identifying the lines, and making up names. A few of these names were the result of bad taste, adolescent sensibilities, and cheap swill. In most if not all cases the first ascentionists saw galleys prior to publication and gave me the correct name where one did exist. For the rest, I take full responsibility (and to this day don't care).

There was one particularly foul name we attached to a non-existent climb. Some route descriptions played fully to the male adolescent aesthetic. But no established climbs were knowingly renamed.

On publication there was great reception from some, shocked horror from others. Some young ladies picketed outside the Erewhon store in Madison, forcing the store to take the book off the shelves (though you could still buy it "under the counter"). I moved to England, and under the psudeonym of Jack Ness wrote a review of the book for Mountain. In that review I took the opportunity for some cheap shots at the CMC, which, coupled with the (few) very non-PC route names prompted a letter to the editor from one of the Crag Hags (I don't remember who). Rich Bechler fought back with a very-well crafted response. The correspondence died, the book sold out, and we all moved on.

And now, twenty one years later, important news spreads from Devil's Lake: Acid Rock gets its first lead. An effort borne of the same fire in the belly and gleam in the eye that I saw in my DLFA bretheren in 1985- and was the inspiration for The Extremists' Guide.

Great days indeed! And this reminiscence will put a little smirk on my face for the rest of the week.

Email me at leo.herm"at"gmail.com if you are interested in more details.

Hey Leo,

Thanks for the recap on this wonderful, and all too often, forgotten history.
Jackness forever!

Someone needs to give Jeff Vogtschaller a pointer and get him on here. That's where I got my my historic t-shirt (in black of course)...

-----------------------------------------------------

Place thy protection well, lest the ground rise up and smite thee..."

- Devil's Lake Trial and Error School of Rock Climbing

I want one.
I'll keep it next to my t-shirt that says:
Have Fun or Get Hurt Bad!

Anyone know where I might find a copy of the Extremist's Guide?

I'm down to a couple copies- if I get round to it I will scan a .pdf and have it available for the asking.

Leo

Hi Leo,
I'm asking. I'd love to have a copy. I'll keep it right next to my DLFA club placcard shrine, and pay homage to the rock god every time I am at the altar.

Leo,

If you do scan some of those guides I think there would be a pretty large handful of folks that would like a copy... Count me in. I love the history of the lake and would love to see it.

OK, OK, I will REALLY try and get this thing scanned.

I'll also add some old DLFA photos for all of you nostalgic climbers.

JJ I see you are palling around with my old friend Dave Groth- he's probably regressed to ony 5.13 in his old age.

Leo,

Dave is doing good. He still makes it out quite a bit and is still scraping out FAs here in Wisconsin and up on the north shore. Though his interests are more varied now a days you can tell he still loves his time on the rock...One of the Godfathers...

I am not sure if you have seen the DLFA 5.11 route listed under the East Ramparts section that Sangdahl posted, but it has a few old shots. It would be cool to see anything you guys could add from that generation.

You can count me in on wanting a copy of the Extremeist's guide.

No pressure ;)

well put leo,its true we did not change the names of any existing routes even thou we could have on the ones we did first leads of. we only named new routes...one thing that was lost on the folks complaining about the names is the time honored tradition of the first acsent party being able to name a route whatever the hell they wanted...and if it bothered some people that usually made the name even better.
what does this have to do with environmental history,adam?
peace and fuk-nes,steve the drug machine

Steve- good to see you're still going strong- saw your note on NIAD- nice work.

With all this discussion I pulled out a copy of the Extremeists' Guide and was surprised to find how mild it all is. There are perhaps half a dozen names that might cause offense to delicate well-bred ladies but that's about it.

A club salute to you. Hoop hoop!

I have started scanning some old photos for the site. Check out "the good the bad & Jacked" Bill Lenz holding the rope!
I even found one from Bagatelle. It's great to hear some old DLFA friends chime in on the Acid rock thing!

I also added a photo of our late friend Rob Drysdale leading straight & no chaser.

Dave G

I just found the pictures of Bill Lenz in neck brace behind the wheel of his smashed car- will add to my photo album.

Now that was one guy who walked the fine line but always fell off!

Leo,
Mild ???? That is an understatemnt,its down right WEAK!!! I can't think of another guide book that got some folks undies all in a bunch.
Can you??? Now ,what were some of those offensive names?
Dave G.,thanks fer posting the photos.Keep em coming.Leo,post some from that cd I sent ya. I am trying to get "Pigs in space" to send some photos.
I still don't understand what this has to do with environmental history? Peace and Fuk-nes, Drug machine

As far as routes name, I believe that the Jolly Rodgers route name in the CMC guide (from the late 70's) was a name change from the UW - Hoofers guide. In there it was called BS (of course that could have also been a name change from previous CMC work). Anyway, I never found BS that bad, but it was changed. I would assume there were other changes.

-HR