ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/22/2018

By Tom Evans

Yo… Wake up Cubicle Pukes.. the ElCap Report is back!  The 5 days I have been here have been perfect for climbing, not a cloud in the sky! As to be expected, the big trades are getting most of the attention.  We do have some solo climbers up on the big lonesome, the solitude their objective.  Oli is done with NNL while Matt is just starting.  Stevie G is on a favorite … JTree was too hot so he came north.  On the upper east side Zodiac and the Straw are getting some traffic but the rest of the SE face lies empty all the way to the Nose.  Lots of action on Salathe and Freerider.  The Nose is getting a lot of action but has yet to get jammed up.  The Muir is becoming popular again with two teams on it at the moment, and another just off.  I am in site 1 of camp 4, look for the lime green rain fly with the lights.  I haven’t gotten around to do any scenic shots but hope to get away from EC in late afternoon.  I will try to get a report out each week or so but understand that I will not be writing or posting shots of every team, although I will be shooting everyone.

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

1)  Freerider is still kicking them off but this mixed European team seemed to find the key and passed the Monster crack without too much difficulty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Classic liebacking on the Monster crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Afternoon finds many teams heading to the bivy at camp 5 on the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  This mixed Canadian is seen here hauling the slabs to Heart Ledge on their way to the Salathe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  The Muir comes a few feet from the hauling lines to Heart ledge and must be a temptation on a hot day.  This woman’s team of Maria Parkes and partner Jana Marshall are focused on their route and not the masses that passed them by all day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Hauling and cleaning high on the Salathe headwall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Afternoon finds a couple of teams at the start of the Gray Bands traverse on the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Local guides Mark and Cam are seen here passing the King Swing with their partner Andrew Roberts on the top of the Boot flake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  This strong team from Vegas climbed the right side of ECT to its top on their way to Tribal but had a change of heart and earned the much maligned…. Wait for it…….

BAIL OF THE DAY!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  The Japanese team from Tokyo finishing the Pancake Flake pitch… near where Hans Florine fell this spring, breaking a leg and an ankle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  The junk show is back on the hill…  Erik, Neil, and Pete are on Winds of Change vying for the second ascent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Mac Horgan looking pretty relaxed at the belay while Henry Heintzman leads todard Gray ledges on the Shield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Out in the great western heat bath this leader pauses on the second pitch of the Dihedral Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  El Capitan, the object of my attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news: I missed the Spring season so found the new, paved Camp 4 parking lot to be a real step up from the old one.  The ElCap shuttle was shut down in late August so getting down to ElCap will be problematic for those without transportation. 

So that’s the way it is, on this Saturday the 22^nd day of Sept. 2018.

Capt.Tom back in the meadow for the Fall season.