ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/12/11
By Tom Evans

Yo…The weather is perfect, the climbers are here, the Captain is dry, and you are sitting there at your computer, instead of being here!  What’s up with that??  This is the time to abandon your cubicle and get your butt to Yosemite.  That’s an order, Puke!!  These good days will not last forever you know!  So many interesting routes are being done that I just can’t do them justice on the Report… but I will continue to do my best for you.

BTW the site could sure use some donations…thanks to all of you who have donated… that’s about 0.02% of you readers!  Just send what it would cost to go to a movie one time…look what you get in return… hundreds of great photos to look at and ruthless commentary about what is going down on the Captain!

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

Zodiac:  Chris and Dave continue up the route in an orderly manner.  Looks like both are having a good time as they get the job done.  Bivy at the MOZ.

1)  Dave, “Yo, Chris…is this the way to go on this pitch?”  Turns out it isn’t, as the route takes the crack to the right but the lower way works too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Chris leading the long steep pitch up to the start of the Nipple.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zenyatta Mondatta:  Marek is on the route for good now (once he starts he doesn’t fix anything) and should find this a lot more interesting than Mescalito.
3)  Marek cleaning the first pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NA Wall:  The solo, Karel, climbed across the Cyclops Eye traverse this morning and was at the traverse back left when I left.  He looks strong and confident.
4)  Karel at the end of the Cyclops Eye traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down Mike and Mike climbed past the 5.8 chimney and Easy Street by afternoon.  They are looking good, if not fast.

I have yet to see Gedas and Savle but they would be too low at this point in the climb.

South Seas to Pacific Ocean:  Mark and Max climbed past the Sharks Fin this morning and later in the day Max made short work of the infamous “Rubber Band Man” pendulum.  I got a nice video of Max doing it but don’t have a way of posting it at the moment.

5)  Mark meets Shark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Max at the finish of the Rubber Band Man pendulum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mescalito:  I did catch a glimpse of Christian and Mike climbing the 4th pitch of this popular and classic route.  I didn’t see them later in the afternoon as I was really busy today at the Bridge.  They most likely have done the Seagull already.

Reticent:  Neil and Callum are getting the pitches done in good style.  Guess they didn’t inherit Pete’s stick from the last climb!  They are headed to Wino Tower late this evening.
7)  Neil leading off the on the pitch to the crossing with the WEML.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Neil doing a swinging clip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TC/KJ project:  I did see signs of life this afternoon at Camp Caldwell.  TC’s wife jugged up to join them earlier.
9)  Tommy is not abandoning his running program while on the wall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Dawn:  Jenn and Tommy have made the traverse to the long seams leading to Wino Tower but will most likely be a day behind Neil and Callum in getting there.
10)  Tommy Thompson starting the mid route traverse as Jenn manages the kit and belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  There were a couple of teams, high on the route, that topped out this morning.  Cal and Steve were the second team over the top.
Lower down a couple of wall style teams went upward from ETC and were caught by what appeared to be NIAD and 3DIAD (Justin and Todd on 3D) teams around noon today.  A lot of the climbers went shirtless in the warm afternoon sun.
11)  NIAD  team into Camp 4 where they stopped for a leisurely lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The team of Ashley and Trevor climbed from Dolt to Camp 4 while I was there via the Jardine Traverse.  They both are climbing well.  Ashley had some difficulty with the spacing of the bolts on the Jardine, but figured it out eventually.
12)  Ashley, reaching, reaching and reaching.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shield:  There are three of four parties, some of three and some of two, lined up on the upper approach pitches to this spectacular route.  I can’t make any order out of them but we will see each team as they climb over the Roof to the Headwall…it could get cold up there this weekend.

El Corazon:  Petter and Stephan, the strong Swedish team that has done well on ElCap thus far, were seen working the long, perfect crack that leads to the upper part of the route.  They seem to be sending, after some top roping.
13)  Stefan and Petter sorting out gear early in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Gate:  Turns out that McCaffee and Hocking are the team presently on the route.  The other team retreated for lack of a rain fly.  Anyway James and Adam are moving right along and were last seen hauling kit  a couple below the Tower to the People.

Salathe:  I did see a couple of teams on the route, below the Spire this morning.  One did a quick run up of the Monster Crack and may be on a Freerider run.

Dihedral and points west… sorry but I never got out there today to see what was up… I will do my best to check tomorrow.

 

Sean and Nico were seen on Free Zodiac a few days ago but vanished... well they kept on climbing but on a diagonal line over to the Golden Finger of Fate where they are planning on free climbing as far is the wall will allow!

14)  Question of the Day… Where is this guy climbing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  In other news:  Later in the evening I went out and got a couple more shots of Yosemite Falls.  It was looking very proud for the Fall season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Wednesday, the 12th day of October, 2011.
I’m outa here!
Tom