ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/25/10

By Tom Evans

Yo… The Report gets thinner every day, so it will soon disappear entirely. There is good action on the Captain, if you know where to look! We did have a little rain last night late and that scared off a few teams for a day or so, including the Geezer Nose ascent. Tomorrow for sure!

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

The Prophet: This is Leo Houlding‘s, ten years in the making, project which is about to come to fruition. Yesterday he, and Jason Pickles, climbed the entire lower part of the route to the level of the top of the White Circle. Today they stayed ledged up until early afternoon, to avoid so much runoff wetting the holds up. He got going around 1:30 and sent one of the two crux pitches quickly and confidently! Tourons and climbers gathered around the scopes to watch him work his magic and he didn’t disappoint. I think he has the second crux pitch on the agenda tomorrow, along with climbing out. Should be interesting!

Below are some shots from the crux pitch.  This should be called "The Flake Pitch"!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Ok Leo, watch the birdie".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stanley dropping in for a visit to the Hotel Houlding, which looks to be all booked up!

 

Zodiac: The “Team that wouldn’t Bail” missed their chance to climb off today, by not doing the pitch after the MOZ yesterday, late in the afternoon, when they had the time. As a result they will be staying on Peanut Ledge and climbing off in the morning. No big deal though. They climbed to Peanut Ledge late in the afternoon today and would be smart to fix the one above to insure an early afternoon top out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Early morning belay under the Devil’s Brow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Cleaning to the top of the 12^th on Zodiac.

　

Lower down Lance and partner showed up and blasted from the ground. Lance is an old EC hand and is showing a friend from back East how it’s done on the Captain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Lance and partner on the Bolt Ladder pitch.

　

Nose: Two guys, Lee and partner, were seen just above the Changing Corners at 4pm and will be off late this evening after a 2 bivy ascent.

Considerably lower down was a wall style team who stayed at Camp 4, as predicted, and the Blue Barrel Team which stayed on the Traverse ledge to Camp 4, as predicted. These two teams are not setting any records but are persistent and getting the job done. I last saw the Blue Barrel Team finishing the Pancake Flake around 4pm. Off tomorrow for both wall style teams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Blue Barrel team leader, steppin up smartly on Pancake Flake.  No aiders for this guy!

　

Lower down a team of 4 Americans previously fixed to the start of the Legs and blasted this morning. They are being managed by a wily vet of many ascents, who has his hands full with ponderous loads of kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Lowering out the bags early in the Stovelegs.

　

Muir: The mixed couple is into the upper part of the route now and are moving smoothly along. They were headed to the Slab as I left.

Dihedral Wall: I just happened to be out west this afternoon and caught sight of this team at the Black Arch. I guess I missed them when I was out that way yesterday. A couple of guys, perhaps a father and son team who emailed me several weeks ago?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

 

The Black Arch, Dihedral Wall route.

　

Mystery pitch and climber of the Day.  This pitch is easily the best one on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

 

In other news: Not many climbers in evidence today. But I did have a chat with Andy Kirkpatrick, who had come down from the Fear, due to some gravitationally removed gear he was sporting. Later Luke, from the recent Mescalito climb, came by and hung out on his basking in the glory day. Scott Stowe hung out for a time too. Some of Lee’s friends, concerned about him and partner on the Nose, also visited for a time and got to see them up high in the dihedral above Camp 6. Other than that it was mostly Touron traffic for most of the day.  I did hear that the women got off Freerider this afternoon and sent it under the glare of media coverage.  Good work girls!!

Remember…. Geezers and Leo Houlding are on the tab for tomorrow so it ain’t over yet sports fans!

So that’s the way it is, on ElCap, for this the 25^th day of June, 2010.

Not many more to go now… Tom