ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/21/13

By Tom Evans

Yo…Need I say, that the weather was perfect today?!  Well it was, and climbers on ElCap made good use of it.  The Nose and Salathe are empty from half height, down.  Want to do that NIAD before the Cap is hot enough to melt lead?  The season is rapidly coming to a close, so you better do it now Bro!

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

Waterfall route:  I spotted “Fortress Pete” at the top of the first this morning, and saw no movement when I went to see all the “action”, throughout the day.

1)  Pete, tending to his kingdom.  Shot from out west this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiac:  The Zod still has more solo climbers than teams, as the team from low down yesterday failed to materialize today.

2)  Beau climbed past the Devil’s Brow this morning and will be on Peanut tonight.  Here he is, before the sun got to him, higher up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Next down is Steve, who climbed into the Circle this morning, and will spend the night at the start of the Nipple Pitch.  This shot has him coming back to his kit after leading the pitch into the Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down, the two Korean climbers, climbed from the top of the 4^th, to the start of the Black

 Tower, by the time I departed.  They are slowly figuring things out, it would appear.

 

Trip:  Two teams are now on the route, with the 3 person, Korean, team way in the lead.

4)  The Korean team was up early, and had a leader well on the way, when I arrived a bit after 9am.  Nice!!  Here they are as the light comes on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Later in the morning I saw this man and woman team climb the second pitch.  They may be blasting now… or not!  They are Ryan and Kiri from Nomad Adventures in JT.  Good git'm kids!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SSPO:  Doug is getting way up there and the angle is not good to shoot him from the Bridge.  I got this shot from MPB early this morning. 

6)  Doug preparing to leave the Island in the Sky.  Notice the famous “Roof Pitch” on the NA Wall to the right in the shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nose/3D:  The teams from yesterday have all moved up to the center of the route.  No one is below Camp 4 now.

7)  I got this shot from MPB, showing Mike Flood, on the edge of the Nose, where the Grey Bands Traverse starts.  Nice!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Behind Mike was the team of Brian Poulsen, Erik Sloan and Taylor Sincich as seen from the left..  They bivied on ECT and here are doing the traverse off the Boot.  Camp 5 for them tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  In front of the line, was the team from the 3D, New Mexico boys, Spike and Dan.  They were first on the Great Roof and brought a quote from, Thomas Jefferson, to mind, “When your poop bag looks better than you do…”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t see Mash or Everett on the 3D today and assume they bailed.

 

Salathe:  Thomas and Will fell behind schedule and bivied at the base of the Ear.  I saw them climb to the Alcove while I was there.  Hopefully they are equipped to take an extra day on the route. 

10)  Here, one of them waits at the belay before the Alcove, with the ElCap Spire towering above.  As I watched them, a quote from, Issac Newton, came to mind, "When your poop bag looks better than you do ....".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Not much other news these days as the season is winding down.  Adam Tischler and Bill Leventhal have been stopping by the last few days, with various forms of liquid refreshment.  They have been working on some new free climbs, in a top secret location, I have agreed to be quiet about.  It hurts… but I will keep my word!

So that’s the way it is, for this Friday, the 21^st day of June, 2013.

Later Dudes and Dudettes!

Capt. Tom