Leaning Tower

I noticed this enticing right-facing dihedral system while climbing the Flying Buttress in 1977. In 1988, I talked my girlfriend, Carol Smith, into climbing it.

We did the long approach to base of the dihedrals. I led each dihedral as one pitch. Each seemed 5.9. At the top of the second, Carol wanted to go down. She was in the midst of a series of chemo treatments for metastatic breast cancer, and she said that the altitude was bothering her. The next (last) pitch looked much easier, but we left it for the future, did a quick rap with two ropes to the base of the climb, and walked out.

I had intended to go back and finish the route. I see, however, in the latest guidebook, Ronca and Davis completed the route in 1998. Because no one has posted this route, I'm doing so in Carol's memory.

Take the climber's trail up toward the Loft. Zig-zag on ledges up to the base of the prominent, right-facing dihedrals.

Probably a standard rack with multiples of hand-size pieces. I don't remember what I placed, although I do remember lots of good jams.