Tom Belays at 4 – Scorched Earth

This is photo #12 in a series of 32. You can click here to return to Photo #1.

I'll tell ya, mate - I was pretty darn relieved to make it to here safely! The belay at the top of 3 was two or three manky quarter-inchers, which I had to equalize to the first three pieces in the fourth pitch! Sheesh.

The crux aid is on the fourth pitch and clocks in at a solid A4+ - including a twelve-foot cheat stick move where I had to hook and then trust a crumbling edge above already-bad gear. Yikes! Higher up are tiny heads and more lousy hooks. Blow it here, and you're in for a long ride, mate!

Scorched Earth, along with Disorderly Conduct, are two El Cap routes which require such a device. Randy Leavitt called his the Lovetron, while Warren Hollinger had a more practical use for his - it was his Tequila Straw.

Please click here to see Tom's four-part collage of me leading the roof pitch, whence this picture was taken.