ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/16/15

By Tom Evans

Yo!!!  Ok folks, the Fall season has started in earnest!  I drove up yesterday, in the rain most of the way.  The good news is that the rain really put a damper on the local fires that have been burning for some time.  Today the air was clear and the temperatures spot on for this time of year.  So… listen up all you Cubicle Pukes, chained to your desks, or stuck at home.  Try to figure out some way to get your sorry butts out of wherever you are and head to Yosemite to share the good times!  I got some new photography equipment and having some problems getting used to it… especially the camera which wants to take the beautiful Yosemite granite and give it a pink cast!  Not what I had in mind!  However I was able to work around it for the most part and hope to get it all figured out soon.

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

1)  ElCap from the meadow this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiac:  I talked with two Italians who are fixed to the top of three and are blasting tomorrow morning.  Nicely dressed crew too!

Tangerine Trip:  A team of three climbers blasted today after fixing 4.5 pitches over a couple of days.  They must be Euro’s as they have a certain style of dress that somehow evades the run of the mill American teams.  I would bet they are Italians!

2) Here the last man up is seen cleaning the belay on the 5^th pitch this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Here the team is seen starting the 8^th pitch this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  El Nino:  I spotted a couple of guys just above the Footstool this afternoon.  This is the leader higher on some nice free climbing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pacific Ocean:  Neil Chelton and Callum  finished up their ascent of the Pacific Ocean route late this afternoon.

 

Mescalito:  I saw two guys low on the route yesterday.  Today they climbed the long right leaning corner that eventually leads to the Molar Traverse.

5)  Leading on the 7^th pitch this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Later in the afternoon the shade approached the men and I got this shot from out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  As you can imagine the Nose was pretty jammed low down.

7)  Hanging at the top of Sickle Ledge this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Really??  All black?  Really?! Stoveleg crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Nicely dressed team making Dolt Tower around noon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Same team climbing off the little ledge above DT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Predictable….. late afternoon in the Legs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher, a NIAD team moved along well, after some difficulty getting the second past the Boot Flake.  Remember.. a pack makes the King Swing a pretty difficult pendulum.  I last saw them finishing the Great Roof pitch around 3pm.

12) 3D: Pete, Anita, and partner Mike Davis climbed off the ledge one above Mammoth Terrace this morning when I got this shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salathe:  I did see a team appear at Lung Ledge this afternoon but left before they went for the Hollow Flake pitch.

Big things are on the agenda for the next several days… on the distaff side, some of the Bigs are in town and will be making news… stay tuned!

Regan is here too and has some interesting plans… could be a banner season… I’ll keep you posted!  I am staying in Camp 4 at site two.. so come on by.

So that’s the way it is, for this Wednesday, the 16^th day of September, 2015.

Much more to follow!

Capt. Tom… in the house!  Or maybe “Meadow” would be more accurate!