ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/01/08

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Nice day here with a strong west wind blowing up the valley. The climbers on the wall looked pretty warm but I hear that a change in the weather is in the wind. Lots of parties on the wall today. Without further adieu here is today’s ElCap Report brought to you by the two teams who bailed from Dolt Tower today. So gag the rest of the family, put the pets in the basement, settle in with a Cobra, and read the latest dope headed your way from ECP’s….

Zodiac: The team of 2 climbed from the top of 4 into the Great White Circle late in the afternoon. They make short work of the Black Tower. Lower Down another team climbed to the top of 3 fixing a line. Lower down a couple of teams were seen getting a number in the line at the start of the route.

Climbing into the White Circle on Zodiac.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/ClimbingintotheWhiteCircleonZodiacl.jpg[/IMG]

Kaos: Kate lead a nice lead onto and upward on the ZM part of the route. They have both done that route before so the climbing should move right along from now on.

Kate leading on the ZM section of Kaos

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/KateRobertsonleadingontheZMsectiono.jpg[/IMG]

Trip: The solo is climbing very well and has a sporty yellow shirt. He was finished with the 8th pitch when I departed.Ammon, Timmy and Sean O’Neill are going onto this route tomorrow. Sean has climbed the Cap 3 times before with Timmy and various other partners. He is a paraplegic who thus does thousands of pull-ups to get up the routes.

Solo climber finishing the 7th pitch on the Trip

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/Solofinishingcleaningthe7thpitchont.jpg[/IMG]

NA Wall: I picked up a team of two on the 6th pitch today and they were quickly headed up the free climbing pitches toward Big Sur ledge late in the day.

Mescalito: The two climbers who have been on the route for several days are now within striking distance of the top early tomorrow. Two Polish climbers, Pavil and Maciek are going onto the route tomorrow having fixed to Anchorage ledge.

Reticent: The solo, Davito with the fastest drill on the SE Face, climbed past the traverse pitch on WEML. He is moving right along.

Reticent Solo getting ready to lower the bags late in the day.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/SoloonReticentgettingreadytolowerth.jpg[/IMG]

Nose: All the parties who started out in wall style today bailed from the route. I think two teams were on it for a NIAD and moved along smartly. Higher up there were several teams who were high on the route and headed off today most likely. They were lead by Jay and Jeanette who were on the last pitch at 4:30 when I left the west side. A great attitude and an abundance of tenacity have gotten the job done for this delightful couple. Congratulations are in order.

NIAD team half way up the Nose.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/NIADteamontheNose.jpg[/IMG]

NIAD Team turning the Great Roof

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/NIADteamturningtheGreatRoof.jpg[/IMG]

Regular wall team on Pancake Flake Nose Route

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/ClimbingPancakeFlakelateinthedayont.jpg[/IMG]

The Tower that makes Camp 5 gets ready for more climbers.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/FinishingthePancakeFlakewithcamp5ab.jpg[/IMG]

Climbers high on the final dihedral on the Nose Route

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/NoseTeamhighinthefinaldihedrallatei.jpg[/IMG]

Jay and Jeanette finishing the Nose Route

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/JayandJeanettyonthelastpitchoftheNo.jpg[/IMG]

Triple Direct: There seem to be a line of parties on the lower Muir part of this route. One is a team of four and there are two teams of two in the long pitches up to Grey Ledges. A team is paralleling those teams on Magic Mushroom.

Shield: I did see Marek Raganowicz (aka Regan) rapping to his bags on the start of the Half Dollar pitch. He has hauled his bags up the Free Blast!! No fun there!!

Salathe: I did see a team high on the route who turned the corner at the Salathe Roof and finished up on Free Rider.

Climber waiting at the belay on the last part of Free Rider.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/Waitingatthebelayonthefinalsectiono.jpg[/IMG]

In other news: Bad news yesterday as Yuji took a 60ft fall on Freestone when he improperly clipped his daisy at the belay, leaned back, and took the plunge. He trashed an ankle and will be out of commission for some time. So the record lowering attempts on the Nose are on hold. I am not in command of all the details at this time and what I have written is from word of mouth. We had a lot of climbers through the Bridge area and I got a shot of just a few that are posted below. The Tourons showed up in great numbers and I spent a lot of time talking with them and showing them climbers.

Bridge Rats: Brian, Cam, Leo, Erik, Scott, Nickie, and Tim.

[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/BrianCamLeoErikScottNickieTimattheb.jpg[/IMG]

Several teams are getting ready to go onto the wall and I will find out what is going on tomorrow.

So that’s the way it is, for this the 1st Day of October 2008.

Bye Bye

ECP’s