El Cap Report 10/04/08

ElCap Report 10/04/08

By Tom Evans

Yo! It dumped big time during the last 12 hours and all the teams left on the Captain have been accounted for and are in good shape thus far. I went down around 10:30 and looked through the thick clouds until I could find everyone I knew was up there. Kate and Pete were able to get off late and drudged down in the pouring rain.. Brenda says they were a pretty miserable looking duo when she picked them up at the Pile.

The Trip Solo was not on the route this morning and Pete says they smelled a campfire as they went over the top in total cloud and rain. I assume he is ok.

The ZM lads were seen in their ledges at the start of the Lightning Bolt Roofs.

The Polish climbers on Mescalito’s 7th pitch looked snug under the rainfly of their ledge.

Davito Hammack on Reticent was at Wine tower late yesterday and his ledge was set up with fly when I looked through the clouds late this morning.

Mash and Chantel were spotted under their orange tarp sitting on Camp 6, not the best place to stop for a bivy but it seems to be working for them!

Narek on the Shield approach, was well established at Grey ledges and looked secure.

The Magic Mushroom guys, Mario and Christian, who I seem to forget about each day, are hanging out in the middle of no where with water courses on either side of them. They are a little lower and left of the Canoe. You can see their ledge as a small dot on the wide shots. Out west the team is set up on a good looking ledge with their ledge and fly deployed. They are very experienced and I have no worries about them.

It is 2pm and it continues to pour rain. Some shots of the cliff below.

A cold wet day on El Capitan

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/AwetcolddayonElCapitan001.jpg[/IMG]

Nasty weather on the Nose of ElCap

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/AwetcolddayonElCapitansNose002.jpg[/IMG]

Matt and Brian waiting it out at the base of the Lightning Bolt roofs

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/MattandBrianwaitingitoutbelowtheLig.jpg[/IMG]

The team out west riding out the storm in the lap of luxury!

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/OutWestteamridingoutthestorminthela.jpg[/IMG]

Solo DeVito Hommack hanging out on Wine Tower level with and right of the great roof pitch.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/SoloDeVetoHommackhangingoutonWineTo.jpg[/IMG]

Jay and Jeanette just down from the Nose yesterday.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/JayandJeanette001C.jpg[/IMG]

So that’s the way it is for this the 4th day of October 2008.

Later ECP’s