ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/25/07

 By Tom Evans

Yo... another super duper day here in the big valley... weather, perfectamondo... sky, crystal clear... folks hanging at the bridge, great... even Epic Ed showed up with rations for the starving bridge rats. The climbers on the wall were mostly going upward although that team of two who stayed on ElCap tower did manage an orderly withdrawal past a couple of teams in the stovelegs... Today’s report was brought to you from the waistband of those black leotards that Jo Whitford wears to drive the boys on the bridge wild. So thanks Jo, and please come back and see us anytime... Love the guiding stories!! So here it is, on a Monday that you most likely want to forget, and we want to remember, another in a long line of ElCap Reports... so close your eyes and imagine that you are here at the bridge with us, hanging at the epicenter of the center of the big wall climbing scene here in the glory hole at the east end of the ElCap Bridge...

Today’s ElCap Report...

Zodiac: the three man Korean team continues to advance up the route, I last saw them finish and start to haul the center pitch of the white circle .. hope they stay there tonight so I can shoot them on the nipple tomorrow morning...

The Ranch: Kate and Pete continue to move the logistical nightmare they have created further up the wall.... they are off the ranch today by virtue of a long day of leading by the lady in black, who strung 4 pitches today, certainly a record on this climb... they are on the NA now having decided to exit via that classic route... did hear Epic Ed talking to Pete who mentioned something about a Friday flight out of here... I am going to take the liberty of saying something about my friend Pete and his wall style... we kid the lad a lot but I find it very interesting and refreshing that he does these routes in such a long period of time.. you see Pete doesn’t really dig just hanging around in the valley for extended periods of time, like I do. He loves to be up on the cliff... so what does he do? He goes on some route and takes the amount of stuff he needs to spend most of his vacation time actually living on the wall... sort of like a long hike on the John Muir trail that a hiker might do... he could, if he wanted to, climb the routes much faster but that would mean less time on the cliff... so see? There is a method to his madness and it suits him just fine... Kate seems to be of the same frame of mind so they are both happy with a style that most of the rest of us would never do because we like the wall ok but not that much!!! So Right on you two, enjoy your last few days up there and we will see you when you get down....

Mescalito: Ah yes the two who put up the bags did show up and they were doing the seagull pitch when I left around 4:30 today.. Also a defunked team from Lunar Eclipse has moved their stuff to the base of this route and plan to start there in the near future... enjoy it lads...

The Nose: as previously mentioned the team that bailed from Texas flake a yesterday made their way down today in good form.. The Korean team of 3 was back in the stovelegs this morning and slowly made their way toward dolt tower... a Euro team caught them on the pitch to dolt and hopefully will pass them there.. But the big news is that Kyle and Klaus, an inexperienced team that had, according to the local wisdom, virtually Zero chance of making the climb, kept going today and did the King Swing nicely and were last seen headed into the gray bands late in the afternoon... they seem to have it figured out even though the second wears this huge pack on the pitches in spite of the fact that they are also hauling a bag... I once tried that trick on Half Dome and gave up that idea after just one pitch... so it looks like the magic ingredients of determination and tenacity are making this team tick... good for you lads!!!

Salathe: I did talk to a couple of teams that are interested in the Salathe and gave them the green light as the route is empty and the weather suitable..

In other news:  The Rappelers were out in force on the 3000+ foot line down the Dawn Wall which made for quite the spectacle... So now you know what I know about today on the Cap. At the bridge we had about equal numbers of tourons and climbers here... did have a couple of friends from the past cruise in... Dave, from some time I spent in the Meadows late last summer, who is going on Mescalito and Chris from Florida who is a friend from past seasons of shooting... last time on the NA Wall.. plus of course Epic Ed, and the regular gang of bridge rats who assemble daily in hopes of catching an adoring glance from the impressionable Tourons who infest the area from the shuttle stop which I "allow" the park service to have on "My Bridge". The regulars of course hope to capitalize on any free food and drink that may appear... My close buddy Leo Burk made a pass by on his way home after a 5 day stint here... I stayed a little late today to shoot the Koreans on Zodiac and to shoot Kyle and Klaus on their improbable ascent of the classic Nose route... but I have packed the van and departed the area for the night... hope you had a good Monday and that you will find some time in your busy schedules to get out here to the Valley and hang here for some good friendships, lousy food, and refreshing brews...

So that's the way it is for today June 25th 2007 ...

signing off for now your man, at the sharp end of the telescope with the honest eye, dealing the truth to you.... ElCap-pics