ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/8/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Yep, it did rain quite hard last night.  Several teams took that as an excuse to bail from their climbs… weather Pukes!  The day dawned clear and bright and continued to be an excellent climbing day with moderate temps and full sun.  The Nose was once again the center of attention with lots of action.  Lurking Fear is also popular in spite of the hoof required to get over there.  My Korean friends, the Team Extreme Riders, arrived at the Bridge today after the long trip from home.  IC Kang introduced me to the new and old members of the team of 5 who will soon be climbing on the Cap.  Great climbing days lie ahead and I will be your man at the center of the epicenter of American big wall climbing.  So settle in and get your ducks in a row because the season is on and you can expect to read about it all!  

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

Zodiac:  Word just in ...  Riley and Karl Baba went on the route yesterday after Riley had three pitches fixed.  Higher up Riley pulled off a block that hit Karl.. his arm was badly injured and they self rescued, later taking Karl to the hosiptal... we await further news.  Best wishes to Karl.

Zodiac:  Several teams have said they are on the route but few appear and fewer the price will pay.  So at this moment the 4 man Korean team from the past several days is the only team on the route.  They climbed from the MOZ pitch and were last seen heading for Peanut Ledge.  Off tomorrow.

Koreans on the pitch over the Devil’s Brow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean leader catches the days first light on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shortest Straw:  Neil continues to put the pitches behind him.  He is nearing the place where the route joins Zodiac.

Neil gives the ElCap Salute while contemplating climbing through the slime above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip:  The team of three who started off yesterday seems to have been reduced to two.  They climbed to the end of the 4th as I departed around 3:30pm.

Trip’s 4th pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mescalito:  Dave Alfrey, Ben Doyle, and Carmen are flying up the route using the 3 person system and short fixing.  They were at the Molar this morning after starting on the route yesterday.  They were close to the Bismarck Ledge as I departed.

Dave on the Molar as Ben and Carmen wait.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Dawn to Tribal:  The 3 man Austrian team is moving swiftly along after a night on LLL.  They made ECT by early afternoon.  Must be Huber buddies!

Lay Lady Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitch above LLL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  A few teams were washed off the route last evening when the rains came.  South African, Andrew Porter and partner Laura Mack climbed to Dolt by the time I left, and maybe on to ECT.  Laura is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, class of 05, and along with Bill Nootens class (?) are the only other VMI grads, besides me (class of 66) to climb the Captain, assuming she is successful.  The lead team from yesterday, with the killer orange bag, and colorful shirts, bailed from ECT this morning.  Several other teams were climbing the lower part including the Hammond Brothers from SLC, who were soaked last night but dried out, and continued upward to ECT, where they met the Austrians from NDTR.  A NIAD team,  who I think are Matt and Roger, were past the King Swing when I spotted them in the morning.  They moved well and were past Camp 6 by 3pm.  Off by now!!

Jardine Traverse team and Bail of The Day team touching paths.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NIAD climber doing the traditional traverse pendulum to the Grey Bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hammond Brothers climbing to ECT where one of the Austrians belays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D:  Peyton Hassinger, Eli Nissan, and (?) were on the route in a push, after abandoning their plans for the Muir.  They were on the Great Roof as I departed.

3D team at Camp 4 with its convenient water supply to the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lurking Fear:  Several teams are on this popular route.  3 Spanish climbers, who have done the Nose and part of the Salathe, headed over there this morning.  Three other teams are on the route.

Second pitch of LF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Yesterday's Mystery Climb was the Shield.

In other news:  The weather promises to be solid for many days now so this is the window for climbers to get projects done.  Soon enough the rain and cold will be a distant memory and the heat will be on.  Good crowds at the Bridge these days.

So that’s the way it is, for this Wednesday, the 8th day of June, 2011.
I’m out of here…
Tom