Wiessner Face

A Devil's Lake 10-star, mega-classic! Perched on the airy right-hand side of one of Devil's Lake's most impressive and imposing walls, Wiessner's Face starts on the right side of Wiessner's Ledge, and negotiates blocky terrain up and right to a good stance above the pine tree. From that stance, it links (at a moderate grade) edges and horizontal cracks up what appears from below to be a blank, improbable face. Each move up is an exercise in faith, but rest-assured, the holds will present themselves, and you will not, despite the nagging feeling, fall all the way to the lake waiting patiently, hundreds of feet below, if you fail in finding them.

A variety of pieces suffice for building an anchor on the Wiessner Ledge, but it is best to use up the big stuff in the anchor and save the smaller gear for the actual climbing above. The face itself can be well-protected with a double-set of TCUs.

The route can be well-protected, but the gear is quite specific, not always obvious, and at times, slightly dubious (as in, how do you really feel about the #00 TCU placed 1/2" deep in the horizontal crack, five feet below you?). Given this, it is an excellent stepping stone in the progression for the aspiring Devil's Lake leader with plans to someday test himself or herself on some of the park's more sparsely protected and challenging headpoints.