ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/5/15

By Tom Evans

Yo… It doesn’t get any better in Yosemite than it is now Pukes .. so.. come on out…no rain, open routes, good times!  I would have thought the Nose would have been jammed, but only two parties went forth from Sickle Ledge, while the multitudes hung back, admiring their new gear and spotless haul bags.

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

1)  Zodiac:  Ted and Lance are in recreational mode.  Not too fast, not too slow.  They were about to Peanut ledge when I left this afternoon.  They may be off or just hanging there for the night.  Here they are at the belay on the pitch to Peanut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Trip:  The Mikes are rolling along doing two or three a day and will soon be off the route.  Here they are on the morning’s first lead, in the center of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Bug Wall (google it).  Meg Curry made the spacious Bismarck Ledge last night and spent the time I was shooting, taking a break from the climbing.  Camp Curry..Mescalito..El Capitan..it doesn’t get any better than that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Sea of Dreams:  Callum and Neil are making this route look easy.  Here, Neil leads off on the notorious “Hook or Book” pitch.  He cruised it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Later Callum was seen leading the pitch after that…out west shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Nose:  Jammed but almost empty…  impossible but true!  One team was ready and left Sickle early and had smooth sailing all the way to Dolt.  Here some of the teams waiting on Sickle ledge..maybe to spend the night, maybe to bail later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  The last person up to Dolt waits at the usual place, with the bag.  Many parties now wait until the next pitch is led to haul the bag.. thus the haul line, in this shot, is seen running around Dolt Tower, not over the top of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shield:

8)  TOM’S SHOT OF THE DAY!!  The Fin, Saku, climbed onto the route yesterday, and was climbing the long pitch up to the Groove, when I got this shot. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Here Saku, a solo climber, is finishing cleaning the pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Later in the day, he took the plunge off the top of the notorious Groove and is seen here going back up the line to finish the lead.  He is going well and looks strong.  Lots of wind up there today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  I got this shot from way, way out west.  To me it shows the vastness of the wall and the insignificance of a human being on it… do we conqueror ElCap?  I don’t think so!  We’re lucky to pass quickly, through its heights, unnoticed by the great cliff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Salathe:  Low down, I got this shot of the Hollow Flake pitch.  The guy looked solid on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Higher up, I watched a very good Korean climber, part of a team of 4, climb the pitch above the ear.  LOVE THE COLORS!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  I shot this climber on the Nose, a while back, and was impressed with his talent.  He hung a couple of times on the pitch, but it is very rarely even attempted free, at an awkward 5.13d, it is well defended from its suitors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Random dude, on Lurking Fear’s intro pitches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned, the action is heating up, and since you are reading this, you are most likely not in Yosemite… your bad!

So that’s the way it is, for this Monday, the 5^th day of October, 2015.

Ansel Evans… in the ECM..just so you can follow the action too.