ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/20/15

By Tom Evans

Yo… It was a little too warm and calm on this beautiful Sunday afternoon.  We didn’t get much relief in the shade of our tree, in the EC meadow, so it must have been pretty bad up on the Cap.  However, the action continued up on the hill.  Several teams reached the top today so we will not see them again for a while.  The weather is supposed to improve within the next few days… and the Facelift is just around the corner, so there will be lots to do.

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

Zodiac:  All three teams we have been following, over the past several days, reached the top today.

1)  The mixed team was the first to top out this afternoon.  Summit photo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  The Italians, Alberto and Roberto, were close behind the lead team in reaching the top. Here they are climbing off Peanut Ledge this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the Italians came the Stowe clan with Stevie G. in tow.

Lower down a three person team blasted this afternoon and were spotted on the 3^rd pitch by the time I left around 3pm.

 

3)  Over on El Nino the German team of Julian and Nico have made good progress and were spotted this morning just after the pendulums leading to the corner to the Black Dihedral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Lower down on the regular NA Wall, I spotted Wade, Andrew, and Marc getting ready for the easy pitches to Big Sur Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Pacific Ocean Wall:  The Polish team of Marek Raganowicz and partner Magdalena blasted this morning.  I got this shot of them at the top of the first pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Mescalito:  The two man team climbed off the top of the Bismarck this morning, as seen here.  They are headed for the Ship’s Bow to bivy tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  Quite a few parties were on the route today, including at least 3 NIAD’s.  Roger Putnam and partner Matt were out to do the Nose and Lurking Fear in a day.  They cruised the Nose but the heat got to them this afternoon and they abandoned the LF climb.

7)  John and Skyler are seen here on the Glowering Spot pitch on their NIAD today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Later in the day Pete and Anita reached the end of the Great Roof pitch while their partner, Mike cleaned out of view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Lower down, the slower teams were spotted making their way across the Gray Bands Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Down in the legs this mixed team is taking a break, hoping no doubt for a strong breeze to cool things off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  I did make it out west to check up on the action out there and got this shot of a climber leading past the Window Pane Flake on Lurking Fear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  The word came in last night of a climber with a broken collar bone high on Lurking Fear.  A rescue was mounted early this morning.  Here old reliable #551 comes in for a landing to move people and equipment to and from the site of the incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  By 9:30am the injured climber reached the deck and was handed off to the medical people for transport.  The whole rescue was over a short time later.  I didn’t know it was going on and LF was in deep shade so I didn’t shoot the rescue itself.  It went down as planned and another one is in the books of YOSAR!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  We have been having quite a few climbers and friends out in the meadow these past days, as you have seen on the report.  Today was no exception.  Libby and Chantel were down from the NA and basked in the glory all afternoon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Sunday, the 20^th day of September, 2015.

“Ansel” Evans