Day by Day Climbing Trip at Devil's Lake

A Vanguard Gap Year Intensive

By HoneyRock Center for Leadership Development

November 10^th, 2021

Hey there! This is Miika and Rachael, two 2022 Vanguards! This fall semester we have been working on the Media Team work rotation, capturing moments of what this year has looked like for us. In early October we began our fall intensives where we chose to take either Ministry Skills of Rock Climbing or Ministry Skills of Horsemanship. Rachael and I both chose rock climbing, and after a week or two of in-class prep, it was time to experience the course hands on. Here's a day-by-day recap of our climbing intensive.

Day One: Friday, October 15th

After packing out the following evening, we were ready and on the road by noon. It was about a three-hour trip from camp to Devil’s Lake State Park, where we’d be staying all week. Once we arrived, we eagerly unloaded our belongings and set up camp. We all settled into our site, ending the day with spaghetti, s'mores, and a roaring bonfire.

Day by Day Climbing Trip at Devil's Lake

Day Two: Saturday, October 16

We were up bright and early for our first day of climbing. The morning started off with a quick breakfast, followed by gear distribution, and then a prompt pack out. We drove to the trailhead and then hiked the half mile uphill to Stettner’s crag. Before we got on the rocks we spent the first hour spread out around the bluff enjoying some individual quiet time. Afterwards, we set up six climbs, had a quick gear introduction, and got right on the rock. We climbed on until about 4:30 when we headed back to camp, ate dinner, debriefed around the bonfire, and then went straight to bed.

Day Three: Sunday, October 17

Today a handful of us woke up early to hike out and watch the sunrise. We scrambled up the bluffs until we found a decent outcropping to enjoy the eastern horizon. All of us soaked in the first rays of sun before heading back down to camp just as breakfast was being laid out.

After finishing breakfast we packed our lunches, hopped into the vans and drove to our spot for the day.

Today’s crag was Misery Rocks, a diverse Quartzsite face full of chimneys, cracks, and more. Our instructors set up about 6 different climbs, each of them at different levels of difficulty and skill. We spent the day climbing and learning new rope skills. We packed everything up and drove back to base camp around 4. We grilled burgers for dinner and enjoyed sides of lettuce, tomato, onion, and assorted condiments. Our day ended with cinnamon rolls over the campfire and a lovely night of stargazing.

Day Four: Monday, October 18

We woke up around 7am and had oatmeal for breakfast. Everyone was a little worn out, so the group came to the executive decision to have guys climb in the morning and girls climb in the afternoon. Today’s crag was Old Sandstone, our first experience climbing on a surface other than Quartzsite. We climbed the sandstone bluffs using different techniques since friction was on our side. We all enjoyed the change in scenery and rest that this day brought.

Day Five: Tuesday, October 19

We woke up around 7 (again), had bagels with cream cheese for breakfast, re-distributed more snacks for everybody, and then drove out to the day’s trailhead. It was 300 steps to our site! For our last day of climbing, we focused on flashing a climb. This meant choosing a route without ever having done it, but with the knowledge that we could complete it without falling. We all pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones and encouraged one another on each feat. The whole day went well. Our site was perfect for being the last day, there was even a 40-foot rappel. We packed up early that day so we’d have time for a special dinner of Cajun boil. We spent the evening around tables piled with corn, potatoes, carrots, onions, and meat with plenty of butter and Cajun seasoning to accompany. With satisfied stomachs and tired bodies, we turned in for the night.

Day Six: Wednesday, October 20

Before we packed up, we had what was most commonly referred to as a ‘rope rodeo’. This was our opportunity to assess the skills we had practiced all week. Once that was over, we broke down camp and hit the road once again. We made it back to HoneyRock in time for dinner and were welcomed to a wonderful reunion with those who had stayed back at camp for the week for the onsite Horsemanship class. We spent the night sharing stories of our respective weeks and reflecting on what a splendid and fulfilling adventure it was.