ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/17/13

By Tom Evans

Yo… Spectacular day today with blue bird skies!  The action on the Captain is slacking off so all you “real wall climbers” get your butts out here.  The clock is ticking and I’m only getting older!  Tons of folks at the Bridge today and Erik Sloan hung in there, doing his usual good job.  In the early afternoon some Touron asked me a question (oh the humanity!) and I automatically went into my teaching mode, explaining about camming units and protection… after I realized what I had done, Erik asked if I was all right!  Old habits die hard!  Not my job anymore!!  These days I just hand off everyone to Erik or Roger and go about shooting!

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

Zodiac:   After some confusion we finally figured who was who on the route.  At the moment there are two mixed teams on the climb.  The lead team, local YMS guide Aaron Jones and girlfriend Crista, are killing it and will be off the route today by dark.  Behind them are Brian and Diana, YOSAR members up in Tuolumne Meadows.  Diana was on the sharp end while I shot today and looked smooth and in control.  Lower down, Saku, from Finland, with a nice ascent of the Nose, a few years ago, under his belt, fixed a couple this afternoon on his solo attempt.

1)  Diana, leading off on the Flying Buttress pitch, in the Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Diana leading in the middle of the above mentioned pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Aaron Jones is seen here leading the last section on the Mark of Zorro pitch this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)   Lost in America:  Jim Beyer, the old school Dude, is in the center of the route now and moving along well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  I did spot a two man team, from yesterday high in the upper dihedral in early afternoon.  They could be the 3D team.  Off by now.

Lower down, the 4 member, well dressed, Korean team climbed off Dolt after their bivy and looked to be going to ElCap Tower but came back to the Jardine Traverse after seeing Oklahoma Tony and partner, Freddy, doing it on a practice run to that height.  Tony and Freddy rapped off from the end of the traverse as the Korean’s continued on.

5)  Tony, climbing the short section to the top of Dolt Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  The whole gang, at the Jardine Traverse.  Freddy and Tony getting ready to rappel off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Tribal Rite:  Turns out that Kevin DeWeese is Tribal bound and climbed onto the route from the top of Texas early in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunkist:  Matt and Keenan jugged to Heart Ledge this morning and were seen hauling kit to Mammoth, as I left this afternoon.

8)  Two Brits, Dominic Oughton and Bill Deakin are higher on the route, above Matt and Keenan, and are moving along.  Here I spotted them just as the light came on them. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Salathe:  The three man team we have been following the past 3 days climbed well up and past the Block and were spotted in early afternoon leading to the Roof.  This shot has Andy leading on the classic pitch to the Roof.  Long Ledge tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Dihedral to Horse Play:  I saw Pete climbing the third pitch of the Dihedral portion of the route, yesterday afternoon, and saw him today, around 2pm, climbing the second half of that pitch.  “Pitch a Day Pete” is now “Half Pitch a Day Pete!!”  But it was pretty warm over there and Pete won’t even consider doing much before noon!  Sooo……Tough schedule!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t see anyone out west of the Dihedral Wall.

In other news:  Ok gang… the beer situation is getting critical down here.  We have sweaty, smelly climbers arriving from the Captain and we have no beer to give them.  I would go buy it myself but I am off the payroll now and don’t get half off on café food so I’m having to conserve my funds.  Which brings me to my next subject…Donations!!  Any and all donations to the site will be greatly appreciated, generous readers!  With gas at $5/gallon here and campsite fees to boot, old Capt. Tom is digging deep into his limited funds just to stay here.  Donate and keep me and the Report going for the season.  OK?  Thanks!

Thought for the day!  The measure of a man is not how much he needs, but how little!

So that’s the way it is, for this Tuesday, the 17^th day of September, 2013.

Later,

Ansel Evans