ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/3 and 10/4/14

By Tom Evans

Yo… Nice weather for the past several days and it looks to be continuing into next week.  Sweet!  While yesterday was a tough day for the climbing community (still no word on Simon’s condition) it was also a day that saw a lot of climbing, as was today.

Yesterday’s and today’s, ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!

1)  Zodiac is having a rapid ascent with possibly only one bivy.. but not so fast… they have only hammocks!  I last saw Brian and David around 2:30pm today, heading into the White Circle.  I think having to spend more than one night hanging in hammocks is enough incentive to climb fast!!  Black Tower pitch this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, on Zenyatta Mondotta, local flashes, Dave Allfrey, Skiy Detray, and young gun, Cheyne Lempe, set the speed record on this great route by throwing down a time a few ticks south of 17 hours.  Dave and Skiy came by the Bridge today and looked none the worse for wear.

2)  Knuckles from Dave to Skiy as Skiy finished his block of leading, and Dave took his.  Cheyne had the last block, so I wasn’t there to shoot him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Dave Allfrey, cruising the famous, “Lightning Bolt Roofs”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Dave leading the pitch to the “9 O’clock Roof”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Skiy and Cheyne at the belay while Dave lead the roof pitch above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  The Nose has been quite busy these past two days.  Today was NIAD day as 4 teams went for the coveted title and only a couple teams were wall style. 

6)  Wall style team close to Dolt Tower this afternoon.  The NIAD’s were long gone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  NIAD team doing the long pitch after the Jardine Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  NIAD traffic jam at the Great Roof!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Team from photo #6 doing the pitch above Dolt in great lighting this afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Skot Richards leads a stout A3 pitch yesterday, late in the climb, on Son of Heart.  They were off last night and down around noon today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Salathe Wall:  Konrad from Poland climbed, earned my respect by liebacking the entire upper part of Hollow Flake, unprotected!!  Most climbers wedge themselves in the crack and pray to a favored deity, to survive the experience!  Whoa dude…sending!!  But they bailed the next day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Nicely dressed team climbing to the Ear on the Salathe this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Honnold showed up at the Bridge today along with many other climbers down from recent ElCap routes.  Nice time at the Bridge this afternoon…ya reallllly missed it mates!!

13)  On the side of Hudon’s “road hotel” some of the “est” climbers posed for a shot.  From the left:  Pete Zabock, slowest climber on ElCap.  Alex Honnold, fastest climber on ElCap.  Steve Schneider, oldest looking climber on ElCap.  Dave Allfrey, fastest aid climber on ElCap.  Mark Hudon, shortest but toughest climber on ElCap.  Skot Richards, tallest climber on ElCap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Honnold is here for the month… who knows what will happen?!

So that’s the way it is, on this Saturday, the 4^th day of October, 2014.

Later,

Capt. Tom