ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/29/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Brilliant weather continues but I hear the heat is being turned up by weeks end to the mid 90’s. Well… beats cold and rainy! The Cap is seeing a lot of action these days but most is still on the Nose.

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

Zodiac: The three person team bivied at the start of the nipple and was moving along steadily today. They are not using the three man method to go fast but seem to be doing just fine with traditional means. Off tomorrow or a later summit tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1)  Bag and climber … going up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

2)  Leader on the Mark of Zorro pitch.

　

Iron Hawk: Mark seems to be enjoying himself up there… he has a leisurely breakfast before getting to work around 9:30 or 10am. Today he did the notorious Knife Blade Traverse while I was shooting. He never seems to be having any difficulty and he spent considerable time cleaning off the junk and tat on the pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Mark starting the KB Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

4)  Mark near the end of the traverse this afternoon.

　

Mescalito: Jim Gaun and Cameron Kern are moving right along on the lower portions of this classic route. They were well on their way up the long right leaning corner as I departed. Molar tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Cameron tending the bags on Stork ledge.

　

New Dawn to Tribal: The old German men, Marc and Markus, are moving up the right side of ECT and will be on LLL tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Marc tending the belay this morning.

　

NOSE: As is customary this time of year, the Nose is jammed. It is impossible to keep track of everyone on the route.

Pete Zabrok and Mark Winey will be moving up onto Grape Race today after spending a couple of days on the route. They have not been a blockage on the route thus far and seem to have been enjoying chatting up all passers-by. Pete came down to get the free climbing shoes he forgot this morning and returned to the climb later in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  The Pete Show on the 3^rd pitch of the Nose this morning.

　

The Stovelegs are always loaded and with no passing lane can be difficult to make good time up. Several parties made Dolt by afternoon and looked to be headed higher to ECT for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Conga line in the Legs this morning.

　

Corbin Usinger and “Bert” Bronson threw down a NIAD today after what looked to be something less than an “Alpine Start”. They breezed up the legs and were soon doing the King Swing. I last saw them headed for the end of the Great Roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Bronson giving some aid with the rope to Crobin on the Swing.

　

A group of friends of Michael Drake and pard Zack gathered to watch them climb the Boot and do the King Swing on their way to a 3 day climb of the route.

The wall style team, who kept a good pace going all day yesterday, were seen on the Roof early and were at Camp 5 as I departed. Cheyne and Greg passed them yesterday on their way to a 10+ hour NIAD. They reported that they are a Spanish team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Spanish team headed into Camp 5 this afternoon.

　

Salathe/Freerider: The two teams from yesterday were seen at the Alcove this morning and climbed above as the day progressed. They are Ryan and Julian on Freerider and Ted and Jason on the Salathe. The angle of the shots I had to shoot was not so good, so I have nothing of them for the report.

In other news: More and more teams are heading to the rock these days so come on out to join or just watch the action on the wall. Climbers at the Bridge today far outnumbered the Tourons! It was a good day!

Today is, of course, Mt. Everest Day. First climbed on this date in 1953 by the British expedition, lead by Sir John Hunt. Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the summit team and would be the first to tell you that, like all such expeditions, they were part of a team without which they would not have made the summit.

So that’s the way it is for this Tuesday, the 29^th day of May, 2012.

Later, Tom