ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/14/14

By Tom Evans

Yo… The bad weather predicted earlier has yet to materialize and it looks like we will continue to have nice weather.  Still lots of interesting routes being done on ElCap and the season is looking like it will continue for several more weeks.  This has been a strange Fall with regards to the trees and such.  The Sugar Maple I like to photograph came in and went out in three days.  We are getting some color along the south side drive but the aspens have not turned, although I hear they have on the east side.  No water over the falls, except for Vernal and Nevada.

 

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

PSD:  Erik, Dana and Charlie have moved out of the Center of the route and are headed for the Devil’s Brow.

1)  Dana finishing the first lead of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Erik and Charlie, hanging at the belay early in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Charlie jugging up to join the rest of the guys later in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surgeon General:  Ragan is knocking off the pitches at the rate of one a day.  He is well stocked and will make better time higher up.

4)  Ragan on the 4^th pitch in late morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiac:  The solo climber, Zach, finished the Black Tower in early afternoon and will be in the Circle tomorrow.  He is climbing well thus far.

5)  Zack climbing toward the top of the Black Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Fresh meat coming up on Zodiac.  Another solo and a team of 3 showed up today on the first and second pitches.  Will they bail or will they sail?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Tangerine Trip:  Neal Davis, the solo climber in the route, is moving along well and seems to be having no problems thus far.   Here he is doing what all solo’s have to do… rap back to the start of the pitch just climbed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Native Son:  Adam and Jordan passed the Golden Finger of Fate this morning and were on the machine head wall in the afternoon.  Here Adam tends the belay while Jordan is hidden deep in the cracks above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Highway to Hell:  I spotted Jim Beyer hauling kit to the top of the 2^nd today and later at the ElCap Tree.  It looks like he is on the wall for good now.

9)  Tempest:  Paul and Jeremy are clicking off the pitches and nearing the top.  Here Jeremy is leading high on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Mescalito:  Jon and Skot were up early this morning when I got this shot of Skot leading off the top of the Bismarck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  The Grape Race to Tribal team changed to the Nose instead of Tribal, and were seen climbing the Pancake Flake around 3pm this afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Muir:  Adam and Jean are climbing well on this great route.  Here Jean is leading the so called “nutting” pitch, one of the most interesting on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice and Mark, are a couple of days below Adam and Jean and climbed across the traverse to the start of the good climbing above, as I departed.

 

13)  El Corazon:  I spotted Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell crossing the traverse to the start of the long chimneys early this morning.  Wow!!  Both of these guys were in red shirts!! Yeah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Jack and Drew are flying up the Shield and I was lucky to get this shot of them climbing the last few feet to Chickenhead Ledge this morning.  They may be off late today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Salathe:  I did see a gaggle of climbers around Hollow Flake, including the so called “Wide Boys”.  Here Tom is climbing the chimney above Hollow Flake Ledge while Peter belays.  Note to Pete’s mom… please tell your son not to wear olive drab shirts on ElCap!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libby Sauter and Quinn Brett climbed Lurking Fear easily in daylight, setting a time of 7:47 which is the woman's record, topping out around 3pm.  They have bigger plans… stay tuned.  Other women climbers are soon to arrive, who will cause a big stir in the climbing community…get the news first here on the ElCap Report!

 

In other news:  Still having problems with posting the report with pics.. so, I have been putting the text up so those interested in particular people will have some news about them.  Bad internet sure makes my job harder and takes some of the fun out of it too.

So that’s the way it is, on this Tuesday, the 14^th day of October, 2014.

Later, Tom