ElCap Reports

ElCap Report  10/02/08
By Tom Evans

Yo… very nice day here in the valley but it did rain during the night, mostly sprinkles.  Lots of clouds that kept the Great Wall cool for the teams who are by now a little tired of the heat of recent weeks.  BTW I have been misspelling Yuji by using a g instead of the j.  So if you see that mistake somewhere in the reports let me know.  Of course I misspell everyone’s name on the report!!  Today’s report is brought to you by Leo Burke, who was my climbing partner at the Pile this afternoon and dragged me up kicking and screaming… Oh the humanity!!
So settle in and get comfy because here it comes to you… Today’s ECR..

Zodiac:  The highest team, in the white circle, bailed this morning.
Lower down YMS guide Conn took his partner up to the top of 6 by late in the day.  Lower down yet a team fixed the first two.
Conn tends the belay as his friend cleans the 3rd pitch 
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/Conntendsthebelayashisfriendcleanst.jpg[/IMG]

Kaos:  Pete lead today and they are now on the ZM part of their climb.
Pete leads out of town on ZM
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/PeteleadsoutontheZMportionofKaos.jpg[/IMG]

Zenyatta Mondatta:  Matt Lambert (aka Lambone) and Brian hauled to the top of the first today and were finishing 2 when I left around 5:30pm.
Hauling to the top of first pitch on Zenyatta
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/Lamboneandfriendhaulingtothefirstbe.jpg[/IMG]

Trip:  The solo continues to move right up the route and will soon be on the bolt ladders.  Who is this guy?
Trip solo climbing in late afternoon about midway up the route.
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/TripSololateafternoon.jpg[/IMG]
Lower down Ivo and Ammon are assisting Sean O’Neill up this route.  Timmy was knocked out of the climb by shoulder problems.
Ammon cleaning the 4th pitch as Sean and Ivo take a break.
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/Ammoncleaningthe4thonTripasSeanandI.jpg[/IMG]

NA Wall:  The guys who were on Big Sur bailed this morning.

Mescalito:  The high team on the route topped out early this afternoon.
Lower down the Polish team of Pavil and Maciek jugged and hauled to the Stork ledge at the top of the 5th pitch late in the day.

Reticent:  The solo, Davito Hammack, who has come under some scrutiny of late, is climbing very well and putting the pitches behind him.  He is about half way up the route.

Nose:  I saw a team do the king swing late in the morning and later the Great Roof at last light on the wall.  A team of 3 (previously reported as a team of 4) came across on the 3D and I picked them up just above camp 4.  Their leader was one hot free climber but took the plunge at the requisite point near the horizontal portion of the roof.  They climbed fast and were gone off the route when I came back from climbing late in the afternoon.
There were a couple of two person teams below them and I assume one was from the crowd on the 3D I spotted yesterday evening.
Calling for gear Great Roof pitch.
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/CallingforgearlateinthedayontheGrea.jpg[/IMG]
Later afternoon lead on the Great Roof
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/ClimberleadinglateinthedayontheGrea.jpg[/IMG]

3D:  I picked up Mash and Chantela at the start of the Muir traverse pitch.  She was leading it while Mash, a frequent visitor on this route, gave support.
Mash belays Chantela on the traverse pitch of the Muir part of the 3D
[IMG]http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll27/elcap-pics/MashbelaysChantelaonthetraversepitc.jpg[/IMG]

Magic Mushroom.  I did spot these guys starting the upper section this morning and seemed to have a senior moment later in the day and didn’t remember to look for them…   duh!

Shield:  Solo Narek, was finally spotted on Mammoth this morning and a few pitches higher in the afternoon.  He hauled the Freeblast with all his stuff… ugly I’m sure.

Golden Gate:  Stephane and wife were spotted high on the route just before  the golden desert pitch.  I didn’t seem them climbing but their stuff was installed on a good ledge.

In other news:  I hear that Hans and Yuji are still planning on an attempt later next week to go for a lower record… I don’t have the details of the injury but I hear you can find them on Hans’s speed climbing website.  I didn’t see Jay and Jeanette at the bridge but understand that KFC and Lance went up there to give them a hand with the bags on the descent.
Hans just reported that he and Yuji are going for the speed record on this Sunday the 5th then Wed the 8th and then Sunday the 12th.  They start just after first light... I guess sometime a little after 7am.  See you at the bridge?
The weather is supposed to cave in at weeks end but you never know about the forecast around here. 
So that’s the way it is for this the 2nd day of October 2008.
Bye Bye ECP’s