ElCap Reports

The Final ElCap Report 6/14/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Beautiful day here once again.  The Good News is that activity is heating up on all major routes.  The Bad News is that this is the final report that I will be writing on this site, unless I am able to arrange something different, for the internet, in the future.  I was hoping to make it to the end of the month before retiring the Report, but I can’t make it… so this is the Final  ElCap Report.

I started the Report, several years ago, to bring ElCap back into the world climbing spot light, after it had languished in the backwaters of climbing for many years.  I got some help with posting pictures and soon the site took off, not only as a photo site but a site that told the stories of many climbers, well known and unknown.  Soon the site drew climbers to the ElCap Bridge, to see for themselves what was going on and in the process we developed the sense of community that had been missing for some time.  We had a new place to hang out and tell the stories of our adventures, all the while getting to watch our friends and fellow climbers striving to reach their dreams.  I have tried to make the site better by posting as many images as practical each day, and at the same time tell, in a few simple words, what I was seeing as I photographed the teams on the wall.  

I was surprised at the huge number of readers who visited the site and the positive response to what I posted.  It was not a simple matter of taking a few shots and writing something up in a few minutes.  It became an all consuming task, requiring 4 or 5 hours a day on a computer with the notoriously shitty internet connections here in the Valley.  It was a physically demanding schedule that allowed no time for anything else.  So now the time has come, as I approach my 67th birthday in a couple of days, to let it go and get out and do the other things I love to do in Yosemite.  If I could find an internet connection that is faster and reliable then it would not be so hard to do the report... that is the crux of the issue.  Shitty internet just takes hours to post with and I can't keep it going like that.  Maybe things will change .... in time we will see.

I want to thank all of you who donated to the site, no matter what amount you sent.  As you may have read, I was robbed of most of my photo equipment this winter and have slowly replaced some of the essential items, as I was not able to collect any insurance.  My heart felt thanks goes out to all of you who have encouraged me over the years and offered your support.

The Final ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!

Zodiac:  Dan and Steve are moving along well now and climbed out of the White Circle and I think might just make Peanut Ledge this evening, late.

Steve hauling freight on the Nipple pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Higher up the 5 man Korean team didn’t make Peanut last evening, but was up early and heading to the top as I departed around 4pm today.

Greetings from Peanut Ledge!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new team of Kevin and Robby are fixing the first couple.

Zenyatta:  Mark is rolling along now and will top out a couple of days ahead of schedule I think.  With this ascent the oldest solo will be 55 now.  Read it and weep Ottawa Doug!  

Mark out on the lead early this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a 4 man Korean team fixed the first two while I was watching this afternoon.  Should be a good test for these experienced and tough climbers.

Mescalito:  Mike Donaldson is making very rapid progress on this route.  I suppose he has realized that it is nearly impossible to retreat now and so is focused on the task intently.

Mike leading to the Molar Traverse this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike doing the Molar Pendulum this afternoon in deep shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down, Greg and Wally pushed past the Seagull this morning and were moving up the long, right leaning, seam as the afternoon shade overtook them.

Greg and Wally passing the Seagull.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a team of excellent Korean climbers has fixed 3 on the route and will blast in 2 days.

The Nose:  I will miss writing about the King.  I climbed it in 1971 in a classic ascent and it will always have a warm place in my heart.
Today it was pretty busy with a couple of solo climbers on it and 3 wall style teams too.  A wall style team climbed off Camp 4 early and was last seen above Camp 5.

Early start from Camp 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The solo is Todd Johnson, who recently climbed it with OK Tony in around 8 hours, if I recall.  Todd is out on his own after being inspired by Mason’s 15 hour and change (a lot of change!) solo a few days ago.  Todd was really smoking up the route and ran so hard on the King Swing that he nearly reached the Ear on the Salathe!  Todd ended up with a time of 14:15!!  The other solo retired from Dolt.  A few Dolt boys were out too.

Todd busting the King Swing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shield:  Well I really screwed this one up.  I didn’t notice the team on the headwall yesterday or today until late in the afternoon… sorry boys!  Time to retire for sure!  

Climbing above the Triple Cracks on the Shield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salathe:  The Slovakian team continued above the Spire today and will soon be in the wet, slimy part of the route.  These three guys are tough though and will press through any difficulties.

Slovakian’s on the pitch above the Spire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Well there is some big doings on the Chouinard Hurbert route as Hondo is soloing it for 60 Minutes.  Lots of locals are employed and it should be interesting to see what spin the editors put on the event.  All the best wishes go out to Alex, one of the really nice guys in the climbing community.

Scott Deputy and I at the Bridge this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will still be shooting at the Bridge as usual and doing the “Ask a Climber” program until I depart for the summer months in early July.
I hope I have offered some inspiration to all the climbers out there who aspire to climb the Captain.  The Report has been a wonderful thing for me, as it has allowed me to meet and get to know a great many climbers who would never have even spoken, to an old timer like me, under different circumstances.  I have enjoyed reporting the great ascents by the big names, but even more, reporting the trials, tribulations and successes of the so called “regular climbers” who would never have had their pictures taken or their exploits written about on the Internet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Tuesday, the 14th day of June, 2011.
Best wishes to you all and I hope to see you at the Bridge in the future.
Signing off, your man at the epicenter of the center of the Universe… the ElCap Bridge….
Tom Evans