History

First All Female Ascent of Devils Tower

MANLESS ASCENT OF DEVILS TOWER
by Jan Conn
Formerly from Washington, D. C., Jan Conn, with her husband, has spent a number of years in the west. A large part of that time was in the neighborhood of the Black Hills of South Dakota, where the two of them climbed often. She has many fine climbs to her credit, and of this one, the first all-feminine ascent of the Devils Tower, Mrs. Conn can justly be proud. This article first appeared in Appalachia magazine on December 15, 1952.

IT ALL STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO when Herb and I were coming triumphantly into camp after climbing Devils Tower. It had been an excellent climb on good firm rock, and we had that tired, satisfied feeling one always has after such a climb. I was feeling particularly smug because I was the first woman to climb the Tower without the aid of the old ladder, which had long been out of use.

My self-satisfaction was short lived. Curious tourists had gathered around us asking questions and staring at our ropes and hardware. After looking at me with what I assumed were awe and respect, a brawny Minnesotan turned to Herb and asked, "How does it work? Do you climb up to a ledge somewhere and then haul her up?" Herb's careful explanation was lost to me as I fumed inwardly at the stupidity of the human race and the quirk of fate which made me look like a pudgy school girl instead of a tall, strapping Amazon.

At that moment I took a solemn vow that someday I would climb Devils Tower with someone who couldn't possibly "haul me up," someone who wouldn't get all the credit for my straining muscles. If I could find another girl.

Girl rock-climbers who lead and are willing to assume equal responsibility for an ascent are fairly rare, but the climbing group in Washington, D. C., has turned out more than its share. They have developed female climbers who don't seem to have heard that men are physically superior to women. They not only do their share of back-packing in the high mountains, but hold their own on the severe practice climbs along the Potomac River.

I had seen Jane Showacre do some superb practice, climbing on the Potomac cliffs, and I knew she had spent several seasons in the mountains of western Canada. Pim and Ken Karcher, who had been in the high mountains with her, found her a camera fiend and reported that her greatest fault was her insistence that, "If you stand out to the right of that foothold and lean back just a little more, it will make a better picture." Also, they said, she consumed more food than anyone they knew.

Well, I have my own peculiarities, and I could certainly put up with hers if she could stand mine. Herb has long teased me about my dependence on a Clark Bar for quick energy, sometimes even in the middle of a pitch. By our standards a "Two Clark Bar" Climb is a real humdinger. I get scared sometimes, not when I am leading, but only when I have a secure upper belay. Also I am allergic to carrying a pack.

In spite of all these things, Jane and I decided we would give Devils Tower a try. So at 4:30 A.M., July 16, 1952, the two of us crept out of the Devils Tower campground carrying rope, hardware, a camera, and food enough (including Clark Bars) for six people. As I was panting up the talus and wondering why the active life I lead doesn't make me lose weight, Jane was bobbing along behind munching a plum.

I was elected to lead the first pitch because it required a long reach, and being one and three-quarters inch over five feet I was three-quarters of an inch taller than Jane. The pitch required balance and the use of small holds. Jane coming up under our tremendous pack was not happy. Therefore we decided to haul it up the next pitch, the Durrance Crack.

I led again, taking well over half an hour on the eighty-foot pitch. I didn't expect to lead the whole distance. For the last twenty feet I was just looking for a piton crack so I could climb down with an upper belay and let Jane lead the rest. We had so much trouble hauling up the pack that we ate some of the lunch (just to lighten the load, of course) before going on.

Thus fortified, Jane took the lead. She jammed into a narrow chimney above, where I could hear her pounding in a piton. It didn't sound to me as if it were in far, and I heard Jane remark as she snapped her rope through it, "It might not hold some six-foot muscle man but it's good enough for us." Jane weighs only 109 pounds.

As I shouldered the pack to follow Jane there was grim determination on my face. Carrying a pack up an inhale-exhale, jam chimney is not my idea of a pleasant way to spend a hot summer day. Once jammed into the chimney with the pack I seemed utterly unable to move. But with enough heaving, grunting, and pushing, I slowly inched my way upward. Jane's face looked concerned as my head finally emerged from the crack. She voiced her concern, "Golly, I hope the oranges didn't get squashed."

The next pitch was a high-angle inside corner with an overhanging bulge at the top. Pitons had been left in this pitch. Someone had placed them at arm's reach to protect each tricky spot. Jane, as leader, discovered that in each case she had to take the difficult step before she was high enough to reach the piton which was to have protected it. Being short does have its disadvantages. Nevertheless, she reached the overhang in short order and pulled over on to the belay ledge.

It is almost impossible to climb Devils Tower without gathering a large audience of inquisitive tourists. We could see them all grouped below and could catch occasional remarks such as, "Does someone pay them to do that?" and the emphatic answer, "I don't know, but you couldn't pay ME to do it."

Jane and I grinned at each other. It seems to be impossible for people who haven't tried it, to understand just why climbing rocks is such fun.

Jane's last lead had brought us up to the start of the traverse to the large bushy ledge, where the serious climbing is over. Soon we were following the crude trail made by the seventy-five or so people who have climbed Devils Tower since 1937, when Wiessner made the first ascent of the rock not using the old ladder.

Beyond the ledge two hundred feet of easy scrambling brought us to the large rounded summit and the flying ants. One would think that with all of Wyoming to choose from, that swarm of ants would find a spot more to their liking than the top of Devils Tower. But there they stay to pester any stray climbers who are foolish enough to invade their personal domain.

After gleefully signing the register as the first man less ascent, Jane and I retreated to the edge of the summit for a bite of something besides flying ants. We had spent six hours on the ascent, and we used two hours more on the summit, exploring, taking pictures, and eating most of the food we had brought.

By the time we started down, it was really hot, and we found ourselves collapsing in every piece of shade on that sunny face. We had not brought a rappel rope, so we had to climb down to the top of the Durrance Crack. Here we had left an extra climbing rope, and by joining the two ropes we managed a rappel.

At the base there was much picture taking and staring, and I was feeling wonderful. No one could possibly think that Jane had pulled me up or vice versa. I looked too chubby to haul anyone, even Jane, and she looked so small that it was hard to picture her doing anything much more strenuous than playing shuffle board.

But of course the blow had to fall. As a couple turned to leave the crowd that had gathered around us, I heard the man remark, "That climb must not be very hard if THEY can do it."

First Stories

In the 1930's, the importance of Devils Tower to many Plains Indians was recorded in first person narratives.

Arapaho Legend

An Arapaho lodge was camped at Bears Tipi. The father of this lodge was a head lodge and had seven children, five boys and two girls. The two girls had made an arrangement between themselves that the one who found the end bond (end rib) of a buffalo should receive the most favors from the brothers. The boys often made trips to other tribes. After a long search one of the girls found an end bone of a buffalo and on picking it up she turned into a bear and made some big scratches on her sister’s back. The bear-girl told her sister, “if you tell the dogs will howl and this will be a signal so I will know that you have told.” The sister did tell her brothers and when they heard the dogs howl and give the signal they were scared and started to run.

The bear-girl heard the signal and ran after them. The girl who had told was carrying a ball in her hand which she dropped and accidentally kicked. The ball bounded up on the big, high rock. The bear-girl reached over her sister’s shoulder to grab the ball, slipped and made very big scratches on the big rock and fell on her sister and broke the sister’s chest. The bear-girl climbed to the top of the big, high rock and told her family that there would be seven stars in the shape of a diamond appear in the east and the first star out would be off to one side and would be brighter than the other stars. This first star would be called Broken Chest Star. From this time on the Arapaho called this big, high rock “Bears Tipi”.

This legend was told to Dick Stone by Sherman Sage, 81 years old. Otto Hungary, Interpreter.

Cheyenne Legend
A band of Cheyenne Indians went on one of their visits to Bears Tipi to worship the Great Spirit; as did many other tribes before the white man came. The Cheyenne braves took their families with them as they felt that would be safe as Bears Tipi was a holy place.

After having camped there for several days, one of the Cheyenne braves noticed that his wife was often gone from camp, staying away for a short time. As time went on he noticed that she was gone longer than before. This brave could not understand why his wife should be gone from their lodge so much as he had always been devoted to her and being a good hunter, as well as a brave warrior, she always had much buffalo, antelope, and deer meat. He furnished her fine skins to make nice clothes.

Becoming suspicious that some other brave in his band might be courting his wife, he watched to see what man was missing when his wife left camp. He found that no man was missing when his wife was gone. This man also saw that his wife had a skin over her shoulders now that she did not wear before coming to this camp.

One day when she had been gone longer than usual, he laid in wait for her, on her return he asked her where she had been and what drew her from camp so much of the time. She would not answer any of his questions. Then the man became mad and tore the skin from her shoulders and saw that she was covered with scratches.

He demanded that she tell him which man had abused her. Becoming frightened at the way her husband was acting she told him that she had been charmed by a very big bear that lived in the big rock. The bear had no mate and had become infatuated with her while she was out gathering fruit. Fearing for the safety of the camp, she had submitted to the bear’s embraces, which accounted for the scratches on her shoulders.

Then the warrior told his wife to lead him to the bear so he could kill it. When they found the bear, the man had great fear because the bear was big, very big. The bear slapped the woman with his paw and changed her into a bear. The man ran to the camp to get the rest of the braves to help him kill the big bear.

They found the bear had crawled into a cave, leaving his hind feet in the door. The bear’s feet were so big that nobody could get past them. They could not get close enough to the bear to kill him so they shot at his feet to make him come out. When the bear came out he was so big that all the warriors were scared and climbed up on a big rock.

There men were so scared that they prayed to the Great Spirit to save them. In answer to their prayers, the rock began to grow up out of the ground and when it stopped it was very high. The bear jumped at the men and on the fourth jump his claws were on the top. The Great Spirit had helped the men and now they had great courage and they shot the bear and killed him. When the bear fell, he fell backwards and pushed the big rock which made it lean.

After that, the bear-woman made this big rock her home, so the Cheyennes called it Bears Tipi.

This legend was told to Dick Stone by Young Bird. Samuel Weasel Bear, Interpreter.

Crow Legend
Once when some Crows were camped at Bears House, two little girls were playing around some big rocks there. There were lots of bears living around that big rock and one big bear seeing the girls alone was going to eat them. The big bear was just about to catch the girls when they saw him. The girls were scared and the only place they could get was on top of one of the rocks around which they had been playing. The girls climbed the rock but still the bear could catch them. The Great Spirit, seeing the bear was about to catch the girls, caused the rock to grow up out of the ground. The bear kept trying to jump to the top of the rock, but he just scratched the rock and fell down on the ground. The claw marks are on the rock now. The rock kept growing until it was so high that the bear could not get the girls. The two girls are still on top of the rock. This legend was told to Dick Stone by Rides the White Hip Horse. Goes to Magpie, Interpreter.

Kiowa Legend
Before the Kiowa came south they were camped on a stream in the far north where there were a great many bears, many of them. One day, seven little girls were playing at a distance from the village and were chased by some bears. The girls ran toward the village and the bears were just about to catch them when the girls jumped on a low rock, about three feet high. One of the girls prayed to the rock, “Rock take pity on us, rock save us!” The rock heard them and began to grow upwards, pushing the girls higher and higher. When the bears jumped to reach the girls, they scratched the rock, broke their claws, and fell on the ground.

The rock rose higher and higher, the bears still jumped at the girls until they were pushed up into the sky, where they now are, seven little stars in a group (The Pleiades). In the winter, in the middle of the night, the seven stars are right over this high rock. When the people came to look, they found the bears’ claws, turned to stone, all around the base.
No Kiowa living has ever seen this rock, but the old men have told about it - it is very far north where the Kiowa used to live. It is a single rock with scratched sides, the marks of the bears’ claws are there yet, rising straight up, very high. There is no other like it in the whole country, there are no trees on it, only grass on top. The Kiowa call this rock “Tso-aa”, a tree rock, possibly because it grew tall like a tree.

Told by I-See-Many-Camp-Fire-Places, Kiowa soldier at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, 1897.

Sioux Legend
In the Sioux tribe long ago was a brave warrior who often went alone into the wilderness where he would fast and worship the Great Spirit in solitude. Being alone helped him to strengthen his courage so that in the future he could carry out his plans.

One day this warrior took his buffalo skull and went along into the wilderness to worship. Standing at the base of Mato Tipila after he had worshipped for two days he suddenly found himself on top of this high rock. He was very much frightened as he did not know how he would get down. After appealing to the Great Spirit he went to sleep. When he awoke he was very glad to find that he was again at the base of this high rock.
He saw that he was standing at the door of a big bear’s lodge as there was foot prints of a very big bear there. He could tell that the cracks in the big rock were made by the big bear’s claws. So he knew that all the time he had been on top of this big rock he had been standing on a big bear’s lodge.
From this time on his nation called this big high rock Mato Tipila and they went there often to worship. The buffalo skull is still on top of this big high rock and can be seen on the highest point.
This legend told to Dick Stone by Short Bull, who lived a short distance west of Ogalala, South Dakota, on July 31, 1932. Mark Running Eagle, Interpreter.

First Technical Climb

Devils Tower Climbed

June 28, 1937

Devils Tower, until Monday, June 28, 1937, unclimbed save by use of rope and stake ladder, has been conquered. Fritz Wiessner, New York, Lawrence Coveney, New York and William P. House, Pittsburgh, Penn., all members of the American Alpine Club, New York City, made the ascent up the almost perpendicular columned laccolith in slightly less than five hours.

The party of climbers arrived at Monument headquarters in the late afternoon of the previous day and spent some time in a reconnaissance of the south side of the Tower and the completion of plans for the ascent. At 6:30 the following morning the climb began, after making their way up over 200 feet of rough talus to a point where the columns rise almost perpendicular. They reached the top 600 feet higher at 11:18, four hours and 48 minutes from the time they began the ascent; 30 minutes was spent exploring the top, collecting requested specimens of the flora as well as samples of the rock found at the summit, taking pictures, and noting in detail points of scientific interest. One hour and forty-two minutes were consumed in the descent which was terminated at 1:30, with a total round-trip time of exactly seven hours. Both ascent and descent were made via the same route on the south side of the Tower.

It was a difficult climb, all three agreed, Wiessner adding that there were few places in the Alps as difficult to climb as one part of the climb where they had to traverse a chimney for eighty feet.

Devils Tower is composed of a granitic rock known as Phonolite Porphyry. At the time of the Black Hills uplift, the up-welling of molten rock in the then overlying layers of sandstone and limestone formed a "lava blister" or Laccolith. Uneven contraction accompanied the rapid cooling of this molten rock causing cracks to be formed which set off huge five or six-sided vertical columns. Erosion has removed much of the blister and left the structure now known as Devils Tower, which stands about 867 feet above the 385 foot hill on which it Tests. The first 250 feet is over the talus slope, or slanting heap of broken stone at the foot of the cliff.

The hard part of the ascent came after the climbers, all of them experienced, started up the crack or chimney, slightly to the west of the old stake and two-by-four ladder constructed by the first climbers, Will Rogers and Will Ripley. Wiessner, who has climbed several very difficult peaks in the Alps and in the Grand Tetons', led the way.

"Every bit of the climb was made under our own power," Wiessner said, "we used no artificial means whatever."

After the treacherous crack had been safely negotiated, the climbers unfastened the ropes which had held them together for safety and by means of a sloping ledge, easily made their way to the top. They remained on the top long enough to gather specimens from the summit which consisted of tufts of grass, sagebrush, cactus in full bloom, ferns, small samples of rock taken from the peak, and a Mormon cricket. Photographs were taken of the summit, measurements were paced, and a small cairn was constructed in which they placed their last empty grapefruit juice can and their names.

The following scientific observations were made and reported verbally by the members of the party.

"Three cans of grapefruit juice and orange juice doesn't go so very far." House said, "but if we had carried up all the water we wanted, we wouldn't have had any strength left to climb the Tower."

Due to the fact that no announcement of the climb had been made because ethics of mountain climbing forbid it, only a small crowd witnessed the ascent. Tourists who happened to choose that particular day to visit the Tower were rewarded with a rare thrill.

One of the first to congratulate the climbers was Mrs. Alice Hepler, whose first husband, W. L. Ripley, was undoubtedly the first man to stand on the Tower. He aided Will Rogers in building the ladder, carrying the stakes up and pounding them in because he was not afraid of high places, Mrs. Hepler said. The crowd was small in comparison to the climb by Rogers. People came and stayed for several days, and there were probably 500 people who watched it, Mrs. Hepler said, though she declared she had seen some accounts in which the crowd was estimated at 7000. She was the only person at the Tower Monday who had witnessed the first climb.

"I wouldn't recommend that any one except an experienced mountain climber attempt the trip we made," Wiessner said. "It is an extremely difficult climb for 200 feet and to one who does not know mountain climbing it would be practically impossible to reach the top. A serious accident would be very likely to result. There is only one pitch on the north face of the Grand Teton in Wyoming which is as difficult in its way, as this crack is on the Devils Tower."

Wiessner has climbed since his early youth in Europe and in the United States; numbering among these, climbs in the Alps, Himalayas Rockies of Canada, United States, and Mexico. His climb of Mt. Waddington in British Columbia was featured in the December 14, 1937 issue of Life. One of his most difficult climbs was the Kaiserberger in the Alps. Coveney's first major climb was the Devils Tower, although he has climbed extensively and is an experienced climber and highly technical in his climbing technique, we were informed by his comrade. House, a graduate of Yale College of Forestry, has climbed in the Alps, the Tetons, was a member of Wiessner's party in the Waddington climb, and has climbed some in Mexico.

Sunday before coming to the Tower the party stopped in the Needles of the Black Hills, near Harney Peak, climbed two of the spires in order to condition themselves for the more difficult climb of Devils Tower.

The climbers wore ordinary hiking clothes with wool socks and low canvas climbing shoes with heavy hempen soles which not only gave them sure footing but allowed them to feel the crevices with their feet. Each climber carried a 35 meter safety rope made of the best quality Italian hemp, which is tested to 1 1/2 tons and will stretch twenty to twenty-five feet, thus acting as a cushion to the climber in case of a fall.

Wiessner presented his climbing shoes, a piton, and carabiner to the museum at Devils Tower headquarters, and a short piece of the rope used.

Special permission for the climb was obtained from the National Park Service. Wiessner and Coveney were here last summer and looked it over but were unable to get permission then. The climbers made the trip out here and the climb entirely at their own expense. We were very grateful to them for the information they brought back.

"And we are grateful to Mr. Joyner for the way the crowd was kept back," Coveney said. "So often we worry more about them than we do about what is above us."

The first climb was made July 4, 1893, when William Rogers a cowboy living near Devils Tower made the ascent. This ascent was made via a ladder which was constructed a short time prior to the climb. Rogers and his neighbor W. L. Ripley, had spent days constructing the ladder, carrying the small stakes up the Tower and pounding them in. Two-by-fours were nailed to the stakes, thus making a crude device which has ever since been called "the ladder."

Two years later Mrs. Rogers climbed the Tower with her husband, again on the Fourth of Juiy. She is the only woman who has ever been up. W. B. Ogden, formerly of Sundance, Cyril Miller, Ivan Hoffer, L. G. Wood, and Henry Hazelbaker., climbed the Tower on the ladder after Rogers had come down on the Fourth of July, 1893. Neil McArthur helped carry material up for Rogers so it is probable that he stood on top at some time.

A rod man, name unknown, in the party of Dr. Herron of the U.S.G.S. made the climb in 1918. Others who have been on top are T. F. Jolley, Spearfish; Seth Boyer in about 1900; Henry Hauber in about 1905; J. Arthur Jobe, July 22, 1906; Dudley Wilkinson, Bates Eccles, Alfred Barr, Lloyd Gay and William McMaster, June 25, 1908, and a so-called human fly, Babe White, in 1927.