ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 1/8/15  Special Dawn Wall Edition Day 12

Brought to you by Adidas Outdoor.

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Will winter ever come back?  I recall, at the start of this grand adventure, that I was freezing by buttocks off every day I was out shooting.  Today it was shirt sleeve weather in the meadow, until darkness came that is… then I scurried for the car like a flushed quail.  This sure beats a driving snow storm, but that’s about it!  Kevin had another day of not climbing, and belayed in support of Tommy’s efforts to climb pitches 19 and 20.

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

Kevin is on the mend and has wisely not climbed for a few days, as he needs his fingers to be as healed as they can, in that environment.  He is going back on the 15^th pitch tomorrow, most likely, late in the day.  Tommy sent 19 and 20 this evening and is now atop Wino Tower, high above The Camp. 

Here are some shots from today’s action.

1)  The “locals” didn’t appear impressed by Good Morning America’s truck, which arrived to report on the rest of the climb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Around 3pm Tommy jugged up to the top of the 18^th which he did, pretty late last night.  We see him here starting the 19^th pitch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Tommy’s technique is so polished that it is hard to see anything difficult about the pitches he climbs!  People seem to be asking…”so where is the hard part?”  Here he is doing his Alex Honnold, “Half Dome” imitation, while Kevin gives me the long distance, "stink eye!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the rest of the shots today are of Tommy climbing on the 19^th pitch.  Corey Rich, in yellow and Brett Lowell were shooting on the wall with him.

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The climb is far from over as I have stated before, “anything can happen”.  The weatherman seems to be slowly raising the chance for rain in the near future.  Rain would be a disaster, depending on the amount of course.  A certain resignation has settled in the camp.  The time has come to force the issue.  Kevin knows the score better than any of the many armchair Pukes, who have a lot of speculation to spray but not much information to draw conclusions from.  I suppose I too fit in that category.  The Camp is pretty closed mouth about what the “plan” is and just how and when it will be carried out.  I got an inquiry from a major newspaper, asking if the climb would be over tomorrow or Saturday.  Mmmmmm, well I can assure you that neither day will see the end of this climb and the reasonable estimate is early to middle next week.  Tommy told the supply crew that they didn’t need to send up any more supplies, with the exception of course, of a few beers.  Cobras I assume!

Tomorrow will be a very important day for this team and I will be here with a growing number of media, climbers and Tourons.  So stay tuned.

So that’s the way it is for this Thursday the 8^th day of January, 2015.

Capt. Tom, as we used to say at VMI..”time to rack out”.