ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/31/11
By Tom Evans

Yo.. Another nice day here in the Valley.  Seems as though people are so gun shy that they are sticking to mostly one route on the Captain at the moment.
The SE Face is protected from the weather, for the most part, and the weather has been the problem all Spring.  So you are going to get a big dose of Zodiac today.  So suck it up Cupcakes!  Forget about anything else, because you are now with me at the Bridge where almost all the action can be seen.

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

Zodiac:  This route has become THE ROUTE TO DO at the present time.  It does have some advantages, like great climbing and good protection from the elements.  So the hordes have started fixing.  Burt and Corbin were on their fixed lines early in hopes fixing even higher than yesterday.  Soon they will be sieging  the route!  Riley and Sayar are fixed and I think moved up today.  A team of 5 Korean climbers arrived and did the direct start and also it looked like the first pitch too.  Hard to tell with so many bodies on the climb.  The real question seems to be who will break from the pack and actually blast on the route!

Crowded conditions on the first two of Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burt starting the third lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still jammed later in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shortest Straw:  I talked to Neil who said he planned to blast on Thursday.

ZM:  Mark and John did the 4th pitch and were hauling when I left around 2:30pm to go out west.

John starting the day on the sharp end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark climbing to the belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  It looks like a fixing team in the Legs today as all they had was a clutch of ropes and nothing else.  How high will they fix?

Fixers in the Legs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost World:  I did make a dash out West this afternoon to see the sights.  Pete and Dave were moving freight on what may turn into the longest time spent on a route since the ascent of Magic Summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fern Spring this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mystery Climb of the Day… name it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Nice at the Bridge this afternoon.  Climbing Rangers, Jesse and Jake wandered in and stayed for the beer drinking contest.  They each consumed 20 Cobras and amazingly Jesse was still able to shoot 4 ducks out of the sky with his 9mm!!  Sweet!  Well that may or may not be the case…you make the call.  
Talking climbing at the Bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is for this Tuesday, the last day of May, 2011.
Words of Wisdom of the Day…

“One should accept the truth from whatever source it proceeds”

Later Tom