ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/19/20

By Tom Evans

Yo… Very nice now, if you don’t mind punishing winds on the Nose and Shield especially. Beautiful days are here now and the wall is virtually empty. Where have all the climbers gone? I suppose some have drifted up to the high country now that the Tioga road is open. They will find some cold days and nights up there for the next several days. Hell it was barely 70 today here in the Valley and the forecast indicates more of the same. So get here quick and get on that prized dream climb of yours.

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

Lunar Eclipse: The Korean team made the top today after a fumble by the leader on the next to last pitch. He got suckered into going left, past that old sling, instead of going right to the so called “sidewalk”. It cost them an hour but they had plenty of time to make the top and had friends who carried 12 Cobras up top to meet them! Eric was mixed in with them but it looked like he kept his solo valid by leading and cleaning all the pitches. Nice work for both parties!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Korean leader heads off on the next to last on Zodiac/Lunar with Eric on the far right of the line of climbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Topping out on Zodiac/Lunar.

　

Lower down the team of two Korean climbers, who fixed the first three the other day, showed up and climbed to the start of the Black Tower pitch, as I departed. They are not too speedy but are eager!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Leading the bolt ladder pitch on Zodaic.  This is their first ElCap route ane we wish them all the best of adventures, up on our great El Capitan!

　

Trip: Chris Chan  finished the bolt ladders today and most of the difficulties of the route. She should be off tomorrow in early afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Chris out early dusting off the last bolt ladder.

　

Mescalito: Luke and Jason are working up the long right leaning crack system leading to the Molar Traverse. Things look to be going fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Luke leading the 7^th on Mescalito.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

The warming sun is soon to give way to the cold shadows, of a Mescalito afternoon.

　

Nose: I did see Mash and partner top out on the route today around 3pm. Another team was just behind them.

Lower down I recognized Kibum Lee, the great Korean climber, and partner, making a run up to Dolt for a workout. The partner climbed with a style similar to Steve Schneider or Hans Florine, and crushed the Stove legs.

Below them a couple of wall style teams were slowly moving toward Dolt, but were a long way away as I departed. The middle of the route is empty.

Shield: The two man Danish team, Tobias and Niels was up and at it way before the sun got to them, and they were obviously getting some strong winds and cold temps high on the route. You may recall that Tobias was involved in the Dawn Wall rescue a few years back.  It was the one where that team fired the red rockets to get rescuer's attention!  No rescues for this team now!  Scott Stowe and John Wells said they froze their asses off up there yesterday, and the day before.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Cleaning gear on a blustery day on the Shield, notice the Canoe to the left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Climbing the long pitch above the Triple Cracks on the Shield.

　

Sunkist; I did see Brian and Ted climbing toward the Tan band this afternoon and doing the intricate traversing to get to the start of that part of the headwall.

Salathe/Freerider/Golden Gate: I did see teams on the Salathe up above the Spire and headed to the block, which was reached in early afternoon. Also saw the team of Tobias and Zach, working on the traverse to Golden Gate, take some whippers, on the dicey down climbing pitch off the Salathe. Someone is working the headwall on a top rope. Nate and Josh came in from the top this afternoon to start working on the upper pitches of Freerider, for the next couple of days.

Lost World; I did see EE and Mike climbing to the long golden corner mid route. I didn’t get to shoot them from out west but got a long gun from the Bridge this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

EE at the belay while Mike cleans the pitch, on Lost World.

　

In other news: Scott Stowe and John Wells made it down from the Shield this afternoon and told of windy, cold conditions on this airy Porter route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Scott and John at the Bridge with a cold Cobra to assuage their worked bodies.

The Bridge was quiet today with few climbers or Tournons in evidence. The wind at the Bridge was stiff all day and made shooting difficult for me, although Jerry Miller had no problem as his scopes are much larger than my lens.

I did have an interesting, sobering experience this morning. I was driving along the North Side Drive, through the S curves after the rock fall area, when in a flash, a speeding car rounded the curve I was on, going the wrong way!!  Fortunately, I make a habit of driving on the right side of the road, most of the time, on one way roads, and she just missed me.  I looked and honked at her but she was in her own world!  So a word to the wise…. Drive in the right lane, on the one way roads here!

So that’s the way it is, on Elcap, for this the 19^th day of June, 2010.

Later Tom