ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 12/29/14  SPECIAL DAWN WALL EDITION

Brought to you by “Adidas Outdoor.”

By Tom Evans

Yo… Nice wall weather with crisp blue skies and little wind.  The team climbed today, even though they had planned a day off to rest and give Kevin’s two split finger tips a chance to heal a bit.

I pulled into the line-up around 9am and spotted Alex Honnold’s van, parked just behind Tommy’s Sprinter.  Mmmm … Honnold… what is he up to now?  Maybe he is going to flash up the fixed lines and give the boys a visit at The Camp!  I set up the camera in a spot where I figured the sun would soon appear, and looked to see what I could see on the wall.

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

1)  Tommy cheering.."Hurray, Alex is here to save us!!"  Well, not really..he was just stretching a bit.   Honnold, on the left, is seen chatting with Tommy and the rest of the crew, up at The Camp!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Oooops.. someone dropped the climbing gear!  Not really.  I think they were looking down at Erik Sloan who was coming up with 8 gallons of water to replace that used over the last couple of days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  After Alex rapped to the deck, to meet up with some of his French friends, Kevin and Tommy sorted gear to begin the days climbing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  The 10^th pitch is 200ft down and to the right.  Tommy went diagonally down to the start of the pitch while Kevin climbed the ropes 170ft.. then traversed 150ft right… then reset some ropes and eventually dropped the rest of the way down to the start of the pitch after setting protection.  Here is Kevin going up from The Camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Here’s Tommy on his drop down to the start of the 10^th pitch with some food, water, gear and a portaledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 10^th pitch goes up and right on a long leaning crack that, unfortunately, has water running down a slimy section midway up the pitch.  At the end is a nasty 14.a traverse move to the belay on the right.

6)  Tommy, working past the slime, after taking a plunge when his left foot skated off the mush.  He worked the section for a while and found a way to stay out of the munge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Higher on the pitch Tommy got airborne again on the 14.a traverse.  This is Tommy just after the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The light went and the cold came to them, as Tommy lowered down to do the pitch again.  I left, as it was too dark to keep shooting and went to supper at the Lodge Café… the food is no better than in the climbing seasons! When I drove past EC I stopped and ran out into the meadow to see what was going on.

 

I spotted headlamps on that difficult 14.a pitch.  Later I learned that they eventually both climbed the pitch without falling.  Tomorrow is a rest day for them, as the weather is predicted to be colder with a lot of wind.  Kevin, sponsored by Adidas Outdoor, is writing, from the wall, on Rock and Ice’s website in conjunction with some of my shots.. sooo.. check it out, as he is posting some cool, on the route, shots.  He also writes about the various pitches they are working.  A good read for sure!  Here is the link   http://vimeo.com/115583587 

 

8)  Here is shot of a tree on the south rim, for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, on this Sunday, the 29^th day of December, 2014.

Later,

“Ansel” Evans.... the guy with the chattering teeth!