ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/3/15

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Another beautiful day has passed here in Yosemite.  We had a nice remembrance for Dean Potter last evening.  The event was well attended, as many friends got together to share the stories that bind us all together.  If you are spiritual, and I am not, you might get some meaning from the first shot on the report.  Dean was infatuated with Ravens, as are many native peoples, and felt a special kinship with them. 

It is supposed to rain tomorrow… I hope so as I have a lot of work to catch up on!

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

1)  TOM'S SHOT OF THE DAY!!   Today was “Moon Day”…an alignment that takes place in early October each year.  I was there for the shot and was lucky to have climbers in the right place this year.  Unfortunately, the worst dressed climber was the one in the lead!  I guess nothing works out perfectly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Zodiac:  Laura and Sean finished the route today.  Good climbers, these UK folks!  Here Sean is leading the pitch off Peanut Ledge this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  A little later Laura was seen cleaning the pitch, at the nasty little traverse, out from the roof.  They topped out early in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Lower down Lance is seen here leading the third pitch, while Ted is belaying out of view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  On the Trip, the Mikes climbed the traverse pitch to the ramp and were seen leading higher later in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Bug Wall:  Meg continues to motor along on Mescalito, one of the best routes on ElCap.  Here she is leading out on the thin section of the route, that climbs several pitches up to the Bismarck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Later in the afternoon I got this shot of her cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Higher on Mescalito, the Dave and Ken show continued their push on the route.  Exhausting is the key word here!  This is a shot of Ken finishing the long pitch above the top of the Bismarck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Later in the afternoon I got this shot of Ken as the light is going and he is approaching the Ship’s Bow.  They finished the route in 34 hours and some change.  Nice effort... but I still say...Suffering is highly over rated!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Sea of Dreams:  Callum and Neil are moving along on this classic, 1978 route.  Here Callum is leading off on the Laura Scudder pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Nose:  There was a crowd in the middle of the route today.  The traffic was jammed and this team on ECT was too far back in the line and eventually bailed because of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  The lead group was lucky and climbed away from the mess by afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down there were a few teams in the Legs.  Several teams were on Eagle and Dolt runs.

The Fin, Saku, was spotted climbing up to Gray Ledges toda, y on his bid to solo the Shield.

The Salathe had action high on the route as a team climbed the headwall this morning.  Also a couple parties were working low on the route.

 

13)  I stopped, on the way to Dean's remembrance, to get this shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  It was nice to catch up with so many friends at the remembrance.  These events are sad, but a life well lived is to be celebrated, and we all tried to keep that in perspective.

More climbing to come, now that the heat has broken.  It looks like we will have some storms to work around this season..but we need the water.

So that’s the way it is, on this Saturday the 3^rd day of October, 2015.

Capt. Tom