October 2010
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Thu, 10/28/2010 - 02:20
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ElCap Report 10/27/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… Hate to tell you but… today is the last day of the Report for the year 2010. You knew it was coming…I warned you… so the day has come. It has been a strange climbing season this Fall. The weather was awful, but we saw some great climbing and some not so great climbing, but mostly we saw people up there battling it out on the greatest climbing rock in the world. They were stretching their limits and many reached their goals. We had a new free route climbed on the Cap…read about it below. We had people from all over the world come to test their skills… they came from England, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland, Italy, Germany, Austria, and other countries too. A Swiss team of brothers, Simon and Samuel Anthamatten were easily the team of the season, for all the ElCap climbs they did, and in the best of style too.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Wed, 10/27/2010 - 02:14
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ElCap Report 10/26/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… Today was quite nice and the action on the Cap reflected the improved weather. Most of the action was on the Nose with some on the Salathe, Mescalito, and the Prophet. The season is definitely winding down, amidst the burgeoning waterfalls and colorful fall leaves. A lot of climbers are departing at the end of the week, leaving the place to the locals, who are breathing a sigh of relief, that they have their Valley back! See shots of Leo Houlding and Jason Pickles climbing the crux pitch below.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Mon, 10/25/2010 - 15:40
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ElCap Report 10/25/10
By Tom Evans
Yo...It poured rain for most of last night, after raining heavily all yesterday. The river is way, way up and the campgounds are hosed. The Water Falls are going like it was spring, instead of Fall. I went down to the Cap late this morning, and also was out and about, to shoot some scenic pics. Today was really beautiful as the clouds slowly melted away, in the bright, warm sun.
Leo and Jason made it through the night, wet but ok. Stanley talked to them this morning, and they were drying out, and plan on giving the last part of the route a go, just after the sun leaves the face this evening.
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sun, 10/24/2010 - 16:09
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ElCap Report 10/24/10
By Tom Evans
Yo...It continues to pour rain in vast amounts, you can't even see the cliffs due to the low clouds. It has rained all night and day (1pm) and Yosemite Falls is really busting now... Sweet! I see it clarifying now... yes, I see it clearly now.... Mt. Room Bar... hot chocolate and football... all day long. Attended a good talk, last night, by Tom Frost, Royal Robbins, Joe Fitchen commerating the 2nd ascent of the Nose. Interesting stories at this well attended event.
Update: It is now 5pm and the downpour continures unabated... Yos falls is going crazy!! This is a flood situation now and not supposed to let up until tomorrow... it is getting bad here... more later...
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 19:40
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ElCap Report 10/23/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… I heard it late in the night, the pitter patter of rain on the fly of my palatial Walmart tent. I knew what it meant for those hardy souls, high up on the Captain, pushing their projects late into the season. Doom. I went down for a look after breakfast. The Cap was awash in thick clouds, drifting silently across the great precipice. I waited a long time but never got a glimpse of Leo and Jason, up there somewhere below the Devil’s Brow, waiting for a shot at the crux pitch that will, unfortunately, not come today. Bullwinkle talked to Leo last night and they have several days of food and water at the bivy…but Leo has a flight on Thursday and the weather is shit until Tuesday afternoon. Now there’s even talk of snow on the Valley floor in the next day or so… doom for the climbing season too. The rest of the Great Rock is deserted and climbers are fleeing the scene like rats leaving the Titanic. I will be around for another week most likely but don’t think there will be much to report…. But I’m not calling it a season just yet, as there are still some high powered teams here with plans to fulfill. There has been a steady rain all day and it continues, as I peer out from my corner table at the Mountain Room Bar. Waitress!... another diet cola and some more chips please!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 04:51
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ElCap Report 10/22/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… the weather continues to hold and climbers on a mission are taking advantage of it, as long as it lasts. Not much climbing on the Cap today but one climb of note is being finished. Read about it below. It was cold and windy at the bridge today, but I had a great day of shooting anyway. Great shots of Leo and Jason, on the Prophet, are seen below.
Today’s ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Fri, 10/22/2010 - 01:31
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ElCap Report 10/21/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… the weather held today, in spite of a 40% rain forecast. But it was pretty cool up there and many climbers were bundled in puffy’s at the belays. The action was restricted today, to the Big Three, you know the ones. The weather is supposed to cave in this weekend but be nicer next week. Who knows what will happen here?…could be great… could be shitty. So come along with Old Tom, at his lonely outpost, the deserted Bridge, to share the action, such as it is. UPDATE: The weather has held through the night and the new day is partly cloudy. There may be no ElCap Report for 10/22/10 as the teams from this report climbed off during the night. We will see...
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 02:26
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ElCap Report 10/20/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… Fabulous day here in the Valley. Kind of warm on the cliff today but tomorrow may bring a return of the rain. Strange season, weather wise, for sure. The Big Trades got all of the attention today. The lighting was super all day and I took over 300 shots. Anyway… time is running out on the season so you need to take your last shot at ElCap, if possible.
Today’s ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 00:36
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ElCap Report 10/19/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… wonderful day here today with clear skies, light breeze, and cool temperatures. The teams who weathered the storm, of a few days ago, have climbed off this afternoon. So, the interesting stuff seems to be over for a time. Anyway, I need to get some rest as I am still not well, but am feeling better...so here it is…
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Submitted by Tom Evans on Mon, 10/18/2010 - 22:47
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ElCap Report 10/18/10
By Tom Evans
Yo… Well, the rains came last night and went away this morning. When I got down to the Cap this morning it was cloudy and gray, but by 11am it had cleared off and it turned into a beautiful day. Supposedly we have a few days of good weather ahead of us.
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