ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/18/18

By Tom Evans

Yo… Man the solid weather has been here for so many days.. will it ever rain again?!  Take advantage of this you Cubicle Pukes, rise up, leave the office, and come to Yosemite asap!  I have had several days of many shots and have fallen behind on the Reports so I am posting them as I finish them…so this one is for Oct.18 and covers the time from the one before on Oct 15.

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

1)  Pacific Ocean Wall:  We had a team of 4 guys who climbed as teams of two, but hung together at the bivys.  This is the classic bivy on the Continental Shelf, atop the Monkey’s Head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Climbing above the Continental Shelf…. SLACK!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Afternoon finds the PO team cleaning gear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  On the Shield, the renowned Timmy O’Neil, Jim Reynolds, and a third made a rapid ascent of the route.  Here they are dealing with miles of rope over the Shield Roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Higher on the Shield, the wind and cold pestered operations as seen here with the ropes blowing horizontally in the breeze.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Over on Lost in America Hayden Robinson, Matt Lambert, and Zac Mills are getting ready to start the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Higher on the same pitch as #6, Zac took a 30 footer when some heads pulled and I got him hanging and getting ready to go back up the pitch.  He went up and finished the lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Tobias Wolf and partner Thomas Hering are seen here vying for the second ascent of Rob Miller and Roby Rudolf's Direct Line.  Here they are on the miles long slab leading from the deck to the Gray Bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  On South Seas, Bud Miller is seen here getting ropes down as he and Brandon Adams bailed off the route…… so …. Here it comes..  BAIL OF THE DAY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  As you recall, Marek Raganowicz moved over to the North America Wall after having a go on Nightmare on CA Street.  Here he is climbing above the roof over the black cave on his way up to the Cyclops Eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Early camping in the Stove Legs, Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Hayden Jamieson styling the King Swing, Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  A sender and a bailer cross paths in the upper Stovelegs. Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Nina Caprez taking a practice run at the Great Roof, Nose route.  Those legs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Erik Eriksson cleans the Westward Ho pitch, on Heartland, while Paul Gagner looks lost in thought, after leading the pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  Aid climbers high on the Headwall, Salathe Wall Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  A climber is seen here leading the slab pitch next to the Shaft on the Muir Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18)  Selfie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  I am out of here pretty soon so get in touch with me if you want shots. Also, it is rather disheartening to see so many teams in black and gray clothing on the Cap.  Those colors are not good for photos and I am considering not shooting climbers in those colors in the future.  This isn’t quantum mechanics folks… bright colors make for the best photos so please think about that in the future!

So that’s the way it is, on this Thursday, the 18^th day of October, 2018.

Capt. Tom… going away soon…