ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/10/19

By Tom Evans

Yo.. As you know by now, the weather is great but the air is not.  We have a big fire burning out to the west near Midpines. It is producing a lot of smoke and the prevailing west wind is bringing the smoke into the Valley where it is sitting and concentrating.  It does make for some interesting sunsets and views of a very red moon at night.  When it will disperse, no one knows.  To keep your mind off the smoke, I have written a report from shots taken over the last few days.  Later... 4pm this afternoon... the smoke is back since 1pm and it looks like the cycle will continue for some time... so ... stay away and keep checking back to find out what is up with the fire.

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

1)  On the Nose this well-dressed team is seen climbing the long pitch to the Jardine Traverse.  Take note, teams that dress well, climb well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  A NIAD team is seen here taking the long corner above the Jardine to avoid the masses jammed at ElCap Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Alex Honnold is seen leading the pitch from Camp 5 to the Glowering spot, while Brad Gobright belays.  The lads were working the top pitches of the Nose after dropping in from the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  A sharply dressed Daniel Joo, sporting some flashy tights, is seen here hauling kit toward Lay Lady Ledge, on New Dawn.  He joined Pete Zabrok and Justin Lawrence, on the ND team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  The team that retreated from Sea of Dreams is seen on the Laura Scudder’s pitch the day before they bailed due to illness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Neil Chelton is climbing Lost in America with his partner Maria Parkes, and was spotted leading the 3^rd pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Higher on LA, Neil is seen using a little force to get past a thin section of the pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Over on the Shield, Bronwyn Burman, seen here on the Roof Pitch, is partnering with Matt Bernstein on this excellent, exposed route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  The pitch after the roof is part of Bronwyn’s block so she is seen here on that long but technically easy pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  The Tribal Rite team is off now but I am including a shot of the famous RURP pitch which is now climbed without rurps!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  The Polish team bailed on Kaos, but had a go at the part of the climb that had relatively recently fallen off the route.  They turned back as they didn’t take any rivets to get past a blank section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  I caught this team, most likely drop-ins as they had no kit, working the traverse under the headwall roof, on Free Rider.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  The Pacific Ocean team, is seen here on the pitch past the bottom end of the Black Dihedral.  The Bering Straits pitch above will take them to the Island in the Sky bivy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  The Golden Gate entrance moves are giving Miska and her partner some difficulty it seems.  Later yesterday evening they moved higher on the route and I assume they finally got the difficult moves done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  When you see this yellow bird flying into the Valley you know that someone is going to be hauled out for medical treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Climbers on the Cap seem to be staying up during the smoke-out while other climbers are waiting for better conditions, to start.

Capt. Tom… breathing the bad air… just so you won’t have to!