Leaning Tower, “Roulette,” Earl Redfern and I on March 7 completed a new route on the infamous Leaning Tower, a highly improbable route of a mere eight pitches, six of which were a pleasant variety of A4. It was improbable because the route was done mostly in winter storms and because we neglected to look at the route through a telescope. Also, Earl had dreamed about where we should start, where we would go and how to get there. It turned out that the route was almost to the letter as he described it from his dream. Roulette starts about 100 feet to the right of Warren Harding’s regular route at the last large tree and continues up and slightly right over a bulge. The climbing was mostly on hooks, copperheads and knifeblades. Pitons were of little use. Friends came in handy at exfoliated sections and we had enough bolts and rivets to drill our way to the top if absolutely necessary. Other than at belays, we placed only four bolts and 12 rivets. Thin seams tied together with hook moves on seemingly blank sections and exfoliated flakes predominated. One 35-foot fall occurred on the fourth pitch on a Zamac rivet which held, the tension on the rope pulling out most of the protection below it. This is entirely overhanging with sling belays and hanging bivouacs.

Thomas C. Bepler