ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/31/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… well there was no rain all day while I was at the bridge and strangely there were no climbers either.  The only action was people who were already on the wall.  There was one party on the Nose and one on SSPO.  A couple of teams with high powered climbers are headed to the Shield.  The bridge was really quiet all day.  We were expecting rain but it never came.
Today’s report is brought to you by Doug and Melissa who hung out all day. 
Today’s ECR just for you

Zodiac:  I did see a team of two guys fixing the first late in the day.  It looked dry over there so this is a good time to get on it.

SSPO:  The two old dudes were climbing to Island in the Sky as I left.  They are making steady progress and I assume it is getting colder up there as the colorful T-shirts have been covered with drab fleece pullovers. 
1)  Climbing to Island in the Sky on the PO part of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  The two guys who arrived at ECT late in the day were seen bailing this morning and were out of sight by 12 noon.
The lead team from yesterday climbed above ECT and did a series of moves on the King Swing pitch that defied all logic and contemporary climbing techniques.  Far too ugly to describe to you.  As a result they took 6 hours to do the pitch to the ledge level with the top of the Boot.  I’ve opened a line to YOSAR just in case.
2)  King Swing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shield:  I did see a team headed up the Muir pitches above Mammoth.

Sunkist:  Charlie and Treavor arrived at the Bridge this afternoon with all their gear.  They went to the Shield instead of the Sunkist… so the mystery is solved… they were the ones leading the charge up the headwall the past few days!  They didn’t like the look of the Mushroom approach to Sunkist so went for the Shield.  So look back to the past few reports and you will see them as the top team of the two who were playing tag on the Shield.
3)  Charlie and Trevor, heroes of ElCap!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blast from the Past.
4)  Paul Sibley leading the Great Roof in 1971.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Tom Evans leading the Great Roof in 1983.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you notice anything different?  How about the huge section of the lower part that disappeared in the intervening years?

In other news:  Piton Pete has acquired a partner for his next climb… one Leo, out for his first trip up the Cap.  After the storm yesterday Pete has moved operations to Virginia so as to avoid any possible water fall problems.
EE and MOusley are about ready to blast on Tempest.
There was a party fixing on the first pitch of the NA today.
I didn’t get out to the west side but I hear the fixed lines are full of the ascending and descending.
The bears down at the bridge are getting bold now.  We looked east a few cars back, by the bear boxes and saw one on the roof of a car trying to get into a Tule box!

6)  Bear working the line up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Little Yogi....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  On the Touron front… a guy stopped his Lexus on the bridge today so the family could get some shots, then he got out and walked over to look in the telescope.  After a time he moved off the bridge.  Where are the LEO’s when you need them!!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four teams reported being buzzed by lightning on top of the Cap yesterday but fortunately no direct strikes.  It goes without saying that the top of the Captain is not a place to be when the storms roll in.

So that’s the way it is for this the last day of May 2009.
I’m out… TME