ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/11/11
By Tom Evans

Yo…. Did it rain yesterday?  You would have never known it today.  Another perfect day for climbing on the Captain. The storm yesterday flushed all the climbers, from ECT down, right off the route.  There were a few teams left at and above Camp 4 during the rain but they climbed off today without difficulty.  A team did bail from ECT this morning and also from the Alcove on the Salathe.  I would have bail of the day but have too many good shots to waste a space.  So here it comes, direct to you via the World Wide Web…

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

Zodiac:  The solo who fixed some yesterday was on the route this morning and was climbing the bolt ladder as I left this afternoon.  Who is he?
Higher up the team of two from yesterday, Chris and Dave, climbed well and were last seen climbing the Black Tower.

1)  Chris Belino standing on top of the Black Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip:  The two Austrians were near the top by mid afternoon and are off by now, I would estimate.  They wisely bivied at the start of the first bolt ladder pitch and fixed higher and thus were protected from the weather.
2)  Austrians getting close to the top late this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zenyatta Mondotta:  Regan,(Marek Raganowicz) who you remember from a recent water crisis on Mescalito, has carried kit and will be blasting in the morning on this classic test piece. Solo as usual…. He is taking plenty of water this time!

North American Wall:  Karel Novacek is making very good time up the route.  He climbed the Black Dihedral in the storm yesterday and did the roof and beyond today.  I think he will be staying at the Cyclops Eye tonight.
3)  Karel making a long reach on the Roof Pitch… once upon a time..“The most spectacular lead in American climbing.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down the team of two, Mike and Mike, blasted today after fixing a couple yesterday.  They were headed to the 5th pitch as I left.
4)  Mike and Mike, fourth pitch, NA Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gedas and Savle, the Lithuanian couple recently “stranded” on the Trip, in a storm, are hauling kit to the base, in preparation for this route.  

SSPO:  Max and Mark moved right along today on beautiful rock in a great location.  Mark did the 4th and Max the 5th by the time I left.
5)  Max leading on the mega-classic South Seas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TC/KJ:  The guys are back on the route to get some rock time in… I have yet to see them climb but my hours are not the best for the task at hand.

New Dawn:  Tommy and Jenn fixed a couple above LLL before the rains came yesterday and wisely came down to the huge ledge to bivy, along with Neil and Callun.  They were seen climbing to ECT late in the afternoon.
6)  Lay Lady Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reticent:  Neil and Callum fixed one yesterday and climbed the second while I was there today.  Some funky looking rock on that pitch, kind of like the Journey Through the Brain, on The Straw.
7)  Callum leading on “Funky rock”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  As I mentioned earlier.. The route got cleaned of climbers in the Legs yesterday.  Today there was just one wall style party climbing in the Stovelegs and it consisted of Yosar Zack and Everett, who climbed to Dolt in mid afternoon.

A speedy team of two climbed over Dolt and was headed to ECT with no baggage… I figured they were ECT tagger’s but may be wrong.
Higher up three teams climbed upward after yesterday’s storm.  I did see Craig and Dave top out mid day.

8)  Glowering Spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve and Cal Gerberding stayed on the nice ledge below Camp 4 during the storm yesterday but were at the end of the line to the Great Roof today.  It was after three pm before they got to start on it.  Fortunately, Steve can turn on the burners any time he wants, so they are at no disadvantage.
9)  Cal and Steve… Great Roof at last!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Corazon:  The strong Swedish team, of Petter and Stefan, were seen climbing to the steep part of the route today in hopes of making a free ascent or at least making a solid recon.  

Shield:  Strung out below were three parties going for the Shield and one for the Muir.  Pete and Ian were doing the Muir approach to Gray Ledges for the Shield and the others were doing the Magic Mushroom approach to Gray Ledges.  The next few days should prove interesting to watch!

Albatross:  Ken and (?) were headed above Chiefton ledge by mid afternoon and most likely are off now.

Salathe:  The teams from yesterday were gone today, the last one bailing from the Alcove in the morning in perfect weather.
10)  Taking the early sun at the base of ElCap Spire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Gate:  I saw a team of two just on the route this morning.  It could be Luka and Nastja or maybe James and Adam.  I don’t know.  Anyway, they worked on the Traverse to the route from the Salathe, and moved some kit higher.
11)  Working the Traverse to Golden Gate….it ain’t easy folks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dihedral Wall:  I did see a team out west on this, the third route done on ElCap.  Until the NA went up it was the hardest route on the rock.  I have misplaced their names.
12)  Fourth pitch on the Dihedral Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Great weather and lots of folks wanting to climb are making for an interesting Fall season.  The ElCap Shuttle stops running after tomorrow.  Next questionable weather is on the weekend.  I did stop to shoot the Falls Wall area where Richie and Alik are doing a climb to the right of the Falls.  I couldn’t get the angle on them but took a shot of the upper falls instead.
13) The Upper Yosemite Falls is raging these days and is quite beautiful.  Cold mornings are bringing some ice splatter to the wall too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Tuesday, the 11th day of October, 2011.
Later,
Tom