ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/13/14 Pictures included!!

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Spectacular weather and lots of interesting climbing are the norm these days here in Yosemite.  The fall lighting is great and I am getting tons of excellent shots of routes that are seldom climbed.  Only the internet is keeping me from posting the reports on time… not much I can do but wait to find a moment when I can put the shots in with the writing … so be patient and the pics will be included.

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

PSD:  Erik, Dana, and Charlie climbed off the Black Pyramid this morning and onto the more difficult, but photogenic climbing above. 

1)  Erik leading out in a wonderland of rock and colors this afternoon.  Hell he even looks good in black!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Surgeon General:  Marek climbed the third pitch before I departed this afternoon.  The pitch is just right of the top of the top of the third on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Zodiac:  The three man team topped out later in the day I think.. seems I lost track of them as nothing of color stood out enough to make me look up there.  They were a good team who climbed well.  Here the leader is on the pitch above Peanut Ledge this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  There is a solo on the route now, who I think is named Zach and is climbing rather quickly for a solo.  Here he is finishing up on the third pitch, just about to pass Marek’s bags on SG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  ZM:  Bud Miller and Phil Wesseler fixed a couple on this interesting route yesterday.  Here Bud is leading on the second pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Tangerine Trip:  Neal Davis is making rapid progress up this well worn trade route.  Here he is leading the 9^th pitch this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Native Son:  Adam and Jordan are getting the pitches done in good order on this varied and interesting route.  Here is Jordan leading the pitch to the start of the Golden Finger of Fate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Adam got the call and is seen here leading the “equator”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Tempest:  Higher and further west I spotted Paul leading the Quinlan corner this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Jeremy cleaning the corner later in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Mescalito:  Jon and Skot spent the night on the excellent Bismarck Ledge.  Here Jon has finished the lead to the ramp leading to the ledge.  Skot is cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  A couple of parties were on the Nose today and seem to be going well.  We have so many pics of the Nose that I am posting other climbs but still am taking pics of the teams there.

 

12)  Grape Race to Tribal:  The stealth team is nearly at the junction with Tribal now.  One of the climbers came out of deep cover and was sporting a nice red shirt!!  Oh yeah!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muir:  A couple of teams are on this route at the moment.

13)  Alice Ng and Mark Hudon are seen about to haul kit, above Mammoth Terrace, as the light came on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Alice is doing the climb for fun, of course, but also to raise $$$ for a girls school in Kenya, called Daraja and is flying their flag on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Higher up, Adam and Jean are on the nicer pitches above the Grey Bands.  Here Adam is leading the first pitch of that part.  Jean posted on FB that a nut she was cleaning suddenly came out and knocked out one of her front teeth!  They are continuing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  Shield:  Drew Smith and Jack Cramer came into view this morning on the Shield Headwall.  Here they are on the Groove later in the morning.  I warned them about the cold up there… but they climbed in shirt sleeves all day so it must have been perfect up there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salathe:  Several teams were huddled on Lung Ledge this morning but climbing difficulties and the heat brought them off, later to return.

 

17)  My good buddy, the local, Red Tailed Hawk, flew by and landed in a nearby tree.  I quickly swung the big gun around and got the shot.  What a wonderful bird!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  The bad weather forecast for the next several days seems to have evaporated and other climbers are setting off for ElCap… should be interesting!

So that’s the way it is, for this Monday, the 13^th day of October, 2014.

Later, Ansel Evans