The Weissner route climbed in 1937 by Fritz Weissner, William House and Lawerence Coveny was the first modern climb on the tower. The previous ascents had been by the Ripley & Rogers family via the Stakeladder in 1893 in a feat of Cowboy can do inginuity in 1891.

I hadn't climbed the tower in five years since I climbed it with my then 16 yr old daughter Natalie and my two brother Charlie and Barry.

I had a day and was ensconced in a cabin some ten miles away. The Weissner seemed like a good way to go. As the Tower's own Dingus Mcgee is fond of quoting Heraclitus, "you can never cross the same river twice" Over the years we've adapted this to climbing. "You can never climb the same climb twice. This was to be no exception. In the last thirty odd years I'd climbed the Wiessner and all it's variations. But they all mix in my memory and though it was familiar I ended up climbing the Extended weissner as a fresh experience with a feeling of dejavu, though I wasn't sure exactly which route I was on until I checked it out in the guidebook afterwards.

It had been over a hundred the day before, so an early start to beat the sun, if not the heat seemd essential
According to acuweather, predawn twilight was at 4:57
no headlamp needed
Diversion around two parties (5 climbers) recoiling the rope, not finding the route, and then two pitches of 5.8 hands to Wyde and the rising sun was around the corner.
on to the meadows
then a short 4th class scramble to the summit
Somehow I missed the background on the summit shot
there's the Missouri Buttes and Frank's house

On down the Bon Homme Rappell, where, at 7:30 there were people coming up
Note "careful avoidence of painful Crack technique"*
Turns out these guys were new to the tower, on a roadtrip as part of a larger group, from Iowa. One guy told me this was is his first trip outside, first time crack climbing and first multipitch. For all that, they went pretty steadily. And the clouds were out so I watched and took pictures.
Note, you can get down the Bonhomme Rappell and the Standard Meadows rap (pr so I'm told) on a single 70 meter rope.
Rte goes up right of the center of photo to lower angeld area ("The Meadows") then scrambles up tp the right.

East face showing 'The Window' in the center
My 93rd ascent and probable last solo of the tower.



* John Gill