ElCap Report 10/1/2015

ElCap Report 10/1/15

By Tom Evans

Yo… It was an interesting day, here in Yosemite.  It started out with clouds and humidity and ended up clear and sunny.  It was what happened in the middle' that made it interesting.  Also, there was a big avalanche off the cliff behind Camp 4 that caused everyone to run for their lives toward the road!  No one was injured but it scared the hell out of a lot of people.  Park Geologist, Greg Stock, declared it to be an actual “rock fall”…and quickly retired to the Mt. Room Bar.

Today’s ElCap Report..written just for you..unique in all the world!

1)  Zodiac:  Laura and Sean moved along nicely today.  Here they are with Laura leading the so called “Flying Buttress” pitch, in a solid lead.  They spent a lot of the day waiting out the weather at the start of the Nipple pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Tangerine Trip:  The Mike’s pushed up to the start of the 5th this afternoon.  Mike Ierien decided to try a pendulum to short cut some down climbing on the 4th pitch.  Many try, few succeed on that maneuver.  He later jugged up and finished down climbing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mescalito:  “Bug Girl” Meg Curry, has really gained the respect of the crew by her efficient climbing.  Today was no exception.

3)  Here she leads off on the pitch up to the start of the Molar Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  She led the pitch in rain gear, as the weather looked threatening.  Here she is half way up that pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  She is seen here after cleaning and hauling the pitch.  It rained in the middle of the day and while other parties stopped and waited…she continued to climb and haul.  Yeah Meg!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Salathe:  The route was loaded from HFL to the Ear today.  In this shot you can almost hear the guy yelling down into the Ear..”How’s it going on down there man?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher up a team climbed onto the headwall just as the storm broke.  I was not able to see them due to the thick clouds on the face.

7)  About 1pm a fast moving, hard hitting rain squall swept into the Valley with only a few moments notice.  I retreated to my van.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  I waited it out, making an occasional dash out into the storm, with my camera, to shoot what I could.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Two of the recently arrived “Mongolian Porters” walked by the van, so I got a shot of them as they were carrying loads up to EC, in the pouring rain…only Mongolians would go out into such a storm, as if it was routine.  They had a surprising resemblance to two of our regular climbers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Soon the Horse Tail falls started pumping and we knew this squall was for real!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  During a break I got this shot of the Heart and EC Spire.  Note the team of two climbers on top of the Ear, low and left in the shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  The highest, of the lower, Salathe teams, spent the storm standing on the top of the Ear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Later, as the clouds drifted by I got this shot of several Salathe climbers retreating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Utilizing a break in the storm I got this shot of the Nose region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Back in the café, lots of climbers were waiting out the storm, doing what climbers always do… talking shit and looking at prospective routes to climb when the weather improves. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  Later in the day I did get out to take some leaf shots.  Dogwood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  Dogwood leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The storm blew itself out and tomorrow promises to be a perfect day for climbing.  We may be in for some heavy weather late in the weekend.

So that’s the way it is, on this Thursday, the 1st day of October, 2015.

Capt. Tom…staying dry!