ElCap Report 10/2/18

ElCap Report 10/2/18

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Great weather now… cooler with mostly sunny days and comfortable nights.  However, today is forecast to be the start of several days of rain, through Thursday.  Although we have had good action in the last several days, that will be changing very soon.  This report has shots over the past few days. Update:  It is now 8:30am and pouring rain... good luck out there!  I have just learned that the Para Climber made it off last night and that they are presently carrying her out via Tamarc flats trail. I also got down to ElCap around noon and saw Brett leading the pitch above the slab and he was in a dry area too.. looking good up there!

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

1)  On the Muir, Maria and Jana have now finished the route.  Here is a shot from their next to last day on the climb, when they were on the upper dihedral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Here the women are on their last day after a cool bivy under the big roof.  Maria is seen leading the next to the last pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  On NNL the three-man team of Istvan, Oszkar, and Miklos ,from Hungary, finished the route.  Here they are at the Pinnacle of Hammerdom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  The NNL crew is seen here giving the old ElCap Salute!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  A few days ago, Loli, a para-climber from Italy, came to the valley and a large contingent of local climbers carried her to the base to begin her attempt to climb Zodiac.  Here part of the crew is at the base of the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Loli’s first day on the route involved 800ft of jugging to the top of the Black Tower pitch.  That’s a huge day for any climber!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Here she is the next day climbing into the center of the Great White Circle.  She has 3 other climbers to assist her and set ropes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  On the Nose, Marlene is seen here free climbing in the Stovelegs as her partner, Colum tends the belay.  They made a 3 day ascent of the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Also on the Nose, Conner leads while his dad, Jim Herson, tends the belay.  He looked really sharp making some sweet free moves there. I remember saying to the crew at the tree.."I don't know who that is on the Jardine but he is really good!"  I later figured it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Here a team tops out on the Nose under the watchful eyes of a Flacon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Lower down on the Trip, solo climber Brett climbing on the VA start.  Birds seemed to like him too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  My local crew of guys, Kyle, Evan, and Conor, who spent time hanging with me at the tree, went up on Zodiac and are seen here looking at the Pearly Gates pitch as they start their day in the middle of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Zodiac solo climber, Tim Exley, is seen here entering the Pearly Gates.  He did the climb in just 3 days which for a solo is really excellent and last week did a solo of the Nose!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Trip solo Brett is seen here in the middle of the VA section of the route.  The Black Cat eyed him but let him pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  A very sporty looking team is seen here climbing to Sickle Ledge on the Nose.  Good climbers wear good colors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  The last party on Freerider passed under the roof this morning and the route will be empty for the coming storms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  In a completely unexpected event this morning, around 10am the USAF Thunder Birds flew up the valley with full smoke on.  Stan saw them from way out and I was able to swing the big gun around and track them well enough to get this shot as they flew by!  Gotta love Jets!! It was awesome!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  The Face Lift is over now and things have calmed down.  Camp 4 now has self-registration for the rest of the year.  No one knows how this is going to shake out.

So that’s the way it is, on this Tuesday the 2nd day of October, 2018

Capt. Tom

 

Virginia solo

Hey Tom, my husband is the one soloing Virginia. Thanks for keeping an eye on him. One correction though, his name is Brett.
Thanks, Jen Evans

The jets, the Italian woman, Camp 4, and the Nobel Prize

Hey Tom,

Today there is a french Nobel prize in physics for lasers. How cool is that? Or hot , we are talking pentawatts.
In Berkeley we used to have Charlie Townes, who got the Nobel for inventing the laser. He was a grand and modest man.

The jets: could it be fleetweek in San Fran? Looks like the right angle to come overhead onto the fleet as it passes the Golden Gate and enters the bay. Maybe....

Camp 4 in self registration in the heat of the climbing season? That is odd. Has Catherine retired? Is th Trump budget that low that they cut on those jobs too?

Italian woman on Zodiac:
Wow! Please say this to her: wow.
I dared to copy one of your photos to show the common folk who have health problems. Hope you don't mind.

I miss my Camp 4, and the cathedral around it, with its 1000 meter walls, and starry ceiling... and its people: mnkyz, yosar, and the others.

Sabine