Jerome and Bertha Climb Leaning Tower In a Heat Wave

Leaning Tower's dramatically steep face

        The morning of of July 16 found Yosemite Valley in the high 90's. Although most climbers had fled the valley for cooler temps, it did not detour the unlikely team of Jerome Smart and Big Bertha. In the early hours of the morning the audacious pair found themselves racking up at the base of the West Face of Leaning Tower (America's steepest wall). Jerome won the rock paper scissors and quickly took the lead. After 400 hundred feet of climbing the two arrived at the bivy ledge and struck camp. Bertha had committed to fixing the next two pitches that evening, but had a panic attack due to the steep and scary terrain above. Jerome, faced with the option of retreat or climb on..., chose to send. The next morning the team awoke to another day of hot temps and Jerome proceeded to take a twenty foot fall on the seventh pitch when the cam he was standing on blew out. Luckily, Bertha is a highly skilled belayer and arrested his fall without incident. Jerome took them to the top of the wall since Bertha was still timid to lead and a bit shaken up after Jerome's fall. When asked how Jerome felt about Bertha not pulling her share of the work all he could say is, "Well, I can't really be too upset with her, she doesn't have any arms or legs."

Bertha out in space engaging in her typical behavior of complete uselessness