ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/27/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… Pretty quiet here at the bridge today.  Nice overcast sky kept the heat down and the glare at bay for my shooting.  Few Tourons and climbers around today.  A little thunder boomed from time to time but no rain fell.
The wall east of the NA is empty now and awaits your team to get in there and look good.  In fact there are relatively few climbers on the Captain at the moment. 
I have some other business to attend to so the report will come at you right now… Today’s ElCap Report…

Zodiac:  The team of two who have been kicking ass topped out this morning after what I assume is a night on Peanut Ledge.  These guys are good!!  Nicely done men.  I did get down to the Cap again in late evening and saw a team fixing the first pitch.

NA Wall:  This team crossed the pendulums and tension traverses to the Black Dihedral and were progressing nicely up it when I left in mid afternoon. 

1)  Making the Spread Eagle, NA Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Stretching like mad on the NA Wall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

South Seas To PO:  The lead team is withdrawing due to a hauling injury on the third pitch and the German team of Marc and Markus are now the only team of the route.  They climbed to the end of the Ramp and were sorting gear when I left.  Later in the evening I saw the men ledged up at the top of the 4th pitch for the night.

Tribal Rite:  Ian and Pierre are smoking up this newly classic route.  They were at the closest point to the Nose route when I first shot them today.  They are moving along smartly and are now  on the ledge below the Carrot Pitch.  They fixed the lower part of the Carrot and are bivying on the ledge at its start.
3)  Tribal Rite brushes by the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  IanJewel tends to  the freight on Tribal Rite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Ian leads a rivet ladder across some interesting dikes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  The French team topped out early this afternoon and was soon followed by a two man team.  Another team was seen to cross the 3D traverse to camp 4 and were on the roof when I left.  The three man team from ECT yesterday did the Great Roof and are moving rapidly toward camp 6.  These guys can get it going any time.  Update… just saw them going over the top at 7:30pm.
Below a three man team was seen slowly advancing up the stove legs late in the day.

Shield:  Late this evening I spotted a team nestled for the night under the Roof pitch.  Also another team was spotted at the Muir Shield junction… which way will they go?

Sunkist:  No sign of Charlie and Trevor today… maybe they went down the fixed lines in the brief shower we had yesterday.  No sign late this evening so I am calling it a bail.

Salathe:  A team of three is on long ledge after climbing from the Block and over the headwall late in the day.  Another team is camping on Sois Le Toit and another seems to be settled in a pitch or so below the Block.  Several parties are working on the fixed lines to Heart and heaven knows where they will end up going.
 

Blast from the Past, classic shots from BITD.

6)  Breakfast in the Cafe, Leo, Karen,  Micha, Cedar, Ivo, and ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  The mosquitoes are horrendous now as the humidity is high and there is much standing water.  The Bridge was quiet today and nothing much was going on there.  I hear several teams talking about holding off because of the weather.  Hello?!  This is not early spring and a little thunder shower is no reason to not go… just go ahead and get on the routes.  You are carrying rain gear, No?!  They say “but there is a 20% chance of showers”.  Son, there is ALWAYS a 20% chance of showers in these mountains!!  Anyway, there should be some good action in the next few days, so come on out if only just to watch some good climbing on great routes!
That’s the way it is for this the 27th day of May 2009.
Remember;  The trust build over a lifetime can be lost in a moment,  so shoot straight with everyone.
Later Tom Evans, ECP’s