ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/5/14

By Tom Evans

Yo... Beautiful days here in the Valley and lots of routes still to be done by.... you Puke!!  Get here... soon.  Or miss some of the best climbing weather we have seen in many a year.  Allfrey and Honnold are still knocking off EC routes daily.  They did the Nose today at what, I recall, Alex calls, "Recreational Pace".  No record this day but none was expected as that record requires considerable preparation and practice.  Still 5:15 is pretty smoking!!

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

1)  Alex and Dave had a nice climb of the Nose in a time that would thrill any team but theirs!  Here is Dave leading the first block to Eagle Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Alex climbing the Stoveleg crack.  He also keeps a running belay so they can climb without having to stop at every belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Dave stopping to talk to a guy on a team of two, bailing from ECT.  BAIL OF THE DAY!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Dave leading off Dolt to the crack system leading to ECT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  After the King Swing, Alex and Dave met Steve Schneider and his partner who were already on Eagle Ledge.  Steve taking a shot of the guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Fresh meat arriving at Sickle Ledge.  Will they bail?  50% of climbers reaching this ledge bail.  They did bail from Dolt the next day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Climber jam at the top of Sickle Ledge.  Belgain team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Belay at the top of the Changing Corners pitch, high on the Nose route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Matt Lambert leading the pitch to Lay Lady Ledge on New Dawn to Tribal Rite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Team Extreme Rider jugging contest at the start of Zodiac.  They have three teams on the route at the moment.  All teams are looking good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Young climber, Ken Kreis, on his first EC route, is going it alone in a push... nice.  He is a new YOSAR member.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Ken, in a sea of flakes, in the Great White Circle, this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  The view from the front of the Golden Princess at anchor at the island of Moorea, French Polynesia.  Yep... that's me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news... not much other news... Two teams are on the Salathe... Two on Tribal... A few on the Nose... Three on Zodiac... Alex and Dave are going to climb Lurking Fear tomorrow... a "rest day" for them!

So that's the way it is, on this Thursday, the 5th day of June, 2014.

Later, Tom