ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/06/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… Sweet day here today, with cloudy skies and very cool temps.  The rain held off until very late in the day and then it was a casual shower.  The teams on the South East Face were all moving up in the shelter of the overhanging wall above.  The weather is the news here and everyone is getting a little tired of the doubt.  June where are you?  This is April stuff.
Anyway, the bridge was on and off today as the weather dictated.  The entire rock West from Mescalito is vacant, and for good reason.  But if it doesn’t rain then there is no problem, but caution is the rule of the day.
So take a break, flog the snake, and come on back to today’s ElCap report,  where you will be in the shit with all the big wall Pukes you are jonesin to be. 
Today’s ECR…
 

Zodiac:  This classic is jammed at the moment.  The two solo’s are moving along and will most likely spend the night on Peanut Ledge and then off tomorrow.
1)  Brian leading the pitch around the Devil’s Eyebrow on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the middle of the route today I saw Seth and Justin climb the White Circle.  I thought they were just fixing yesterday but they were on the route.  They are moving right along and will have only one more bivy before the top if they keep up their present rate.
2)  Making it work on the long climb to the Nipple pitch, Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  It’s Justin, or maybe Seth, on the uber-classic Nipple pitch on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a team of two was seen climbing to the third and look to be on the route.
Lower down yet Andy Kirkpatrick, Pat Tattersall and Ivan Parnell are helping Iraqi war vet. Major Phil Packer climb this route in his quest to raise funds for wounded war vets through the “Help for heroes“ program.  The BBC is here to cover the climb.  It will be no easy task for the Major as he is not a climber and will have to do a zillion pull-ups to get up the route.
4)  Major Packer getting his first, sobering look at Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Shortest Straw:  The Korean team is on the route today for good and climbed the 4th pitch to the belay before I left.
Koreans on the Straw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost in America:  I saw a team of two climb the first pitch on this route.

Virginia:  Pete and Leo got their usual late start and just cleared the belay at the roof on the top of 4 as the Korean Trip team dropped in.  They hauled out of there and were seen leading the 6th pitch later in the day.
6)  Pete and Leo splitting the scene as the Korean leader drops in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Pete leading the 6th pitch on Virginia to the Trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trip:  The Korean team showed up today and moved their stuff to the start of the 5th early in the afternoon and were seen leading off on the classic crack paralleling the long roof.  They are moving along nicely and should make short work of this route in the next few days.
8)  Koreans getting to the end of the 4th pitch with some rope tricks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NA Wall:  The team of three bailed from the route this morning and arrived at the bridge safely  this afternoon.

Mescalito:  The lads climbed to the Bismarck ledge and kept on going this afternoon.  They climbed above the ledge rapidly and were headed a couple of pitches higher as I departed.  They will most likely climb over the top late in the day tomorrow.
9)  Finishing the Bismarck on Mescalito.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blast from the Past.
10)  Chongo Chuck on his fixed line, on the Sea of Dreams, posing for my camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  The good news was that all the parties on the Captain are doing fine and the weather is merely an inconvenience.   The BAD News is that three Americans are missing and assumed dead in an avalanche in China.  One was climber Micah Dash, who was a highly respected local climber and a really great guy.  His death has hit us all hard, as have the deaths of Wade Johnson and Jonny Copp.  There is really nothing I can say, as my words are much too insignificant to explain the magnitude of this tragedy.  Our hearts go out the friends and families of these wonderful climbers.  All we can do is take inspiration from their lives and friendship.

Sadly, that’s the way it is for this the 6th day of June 2009.  We remember the loss of our friends and the loss of the brave men who fought on D-day, so long ago, on this date in 1944.
Later Ansel Evans