Funny how those trees stick out at a diagonal angle...

I do not think the camera was tilted and from my recollection the angle is actually correct in the center. The crux pitch looks vertical and it is vertical in reality. I do not have a good explanation for the trees tilted up top other than wide angle lens? Trying to force these trees be parallel with the edge of the photo would really falsify the angle of the climb to ~40 degrees.

I did not use a wide angle lens when I took this shot, trees at the top of a cliff just happen to grow out and over the edge. I'm sure you see this even around L.A. The climber (Kris) is standing vertically, and if you look closely towards the lower right of the picture, there is a pine on a ledge that is also vertical. If your insinuation is that "Last Gentlemen" is not a steep climb, all I can suggest is that you go to Vermont and give it a try!!

Birch trees grow out on an angle on cliffs like that. My guess has always been that their is more sunlight where no other trees can get in the way.

OK sorry for the insinuation. But look at the angle of the icicles high on the route. Somethings funky about the angle, however steep the route is... maybe because the photo is taken from the side? Not a big deal, it just struck me when I first saw the photo.

You're right about the icicles. I think there might be some barrel distortion within the image, and it increases towards the right. Pat took the shot with a small p&s digital camera and these things do have a wide lens on them. Another explanation is that the camera might indeed have been tilted a bit. After all, it was hand-held, with thick gloves, instead on a tripod with a level. But then, the angles to the left seem correct to me. Oh well, not sure.