ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/23/09
By Tom Evans
Yo… The killer days continue… and the weekend is here.   If you are coming to Yosemite this fall, then this is the time, as the leaves are falling fast and in another week the bleakness of winter will sit upon the land.
Lots of action on the Cap today.  The trades still dominate the scene this fall but we do have some good solo action and climbers on a route not done in a long time.
So without further BS…

Today’s ElCap Report… written just for you…. Unique in all the world!
Fall shot of the Day:  The view from Valley View.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunar Eclipse or ???:  I spotted the white bags of this team, Dave and Scott, both of whom are dressed in red shirts… got to love that, on the top of the 2nd pitch this afternoon.  I talked to a couple of guys about the route a few days ago and promptly forgot about it.  Anyway they were climbing well and I am looking forward to getting some good shots on the seldom done route.  Ivo said the saw them at the top of 5 on Zodiac late in the evening…???  Maybe they are doing the Huber Zodiac but aiding!  Tomorrow will tell the tale.
Lunar boys doing what has to be done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiac:  I watched Graham and Chile climb from Peanut ledge, where they did bivy, to the base of the last pitch today… they are most likely off by now.
The lads talking it over on Peanut Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down the Amanda, Marsha, Adam team, climbed the Nipple pitch late in the day yesterday fixing it for today but bivied at the start, as I thought they might.  Today they cleaned and hauled it and then we got to watch Marsha lead the MOZ.  She has had little aid experience and this pitch is not a give away by any means.  Accordingly, she took considerable time working her way up the pitch and almost had it done when I departed this afternoon.  She hung in there with persistence and tenacity and most likely finished the hardest aid pitch she will do for some time to come.
Marsha on the sharp end of the MOZ pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adam space Jugging with the freight on Zodiacs Nipple pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below them the German team had fixed into the Circle yesterday and they all moved up to the belay in the late morning.  Marcel seems to be the go to guy in this team and he lead the Nipple pitch this afternoon.  Unfortunately he is wearing a dark shirt and thus the shots of him are not the best.  I think they will be running into the upper team pretty soon.
German team on the Nipple Pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down the two man team I mentioned yesterday did indeed bail this morning.

Lost in America:  The Deputy was on duty all day again today with another long lead successfully completed.  He still has a lot of business to deal with on this climb, including, what is generally considered to be the crux of the route.  He is climbing with caution, as well he should, as a solo on a difficult route.  He has a few tough pitches to go before going onto the ZM finish.  Keep it up Scott, you are almost done Bro!!
Scott scoping out another hard lead on LA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Trip:  Althea climbed off the route a little past noon today.  Kevin, the solo from a couple of days ago went up to help her with her kit as she had befriended him on the route when he came by in the night.
Good work Althea!!

Lower down the two guys from yesterday, who BTW were the worst dressed team of the fall season, climbed from the 6th to the top of 9 and probably added another pitch late in the afternoon.  At the top of 7 they suddenly appeared in Red and Blue T-shirts and all was forgiven!!  They were flagging a red sleeping bag all day… ???  Maybe drying it out?
From caterpillar to butterfly on the Trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North American Wall:  I did see Kevin and Cooney heading up the easy pitches toward Big Sur ledge this afternoon.  There is a BD ledge set up there, which I just today noticed.  I don’t know… maybe Tom Moulin is back up there as he did say something about a solo run at El Nino.

Mescalito:  Tommy and Kevin were out working the Dawn wall again this afternoon.  I hear you can read all about it on the BD website but I don’t have time for that myself.

Nose:  A NIAD team, of Mark Hudon and John Fine, flashed up the route today and were last seen above the Glowering Spot a bit after 3pm.  They have a nice ascent going and should be off right at dark.  You may recall that they were on a recent Shield attempt that was going great guns when John became ill and they had to come down from the start of the Roof.

Lower down a team of two made their way slowly up the Legs to DT today.  They just might try for ECT but I kind of think they will be happy to regroup on Dolt.
Phil and Tyler, almost to Dolt Tower on the Nose of ElCapitan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did see a team from the Muir yesterday come across the traverse to camp 4 so they are definitely a 3D party.

Muir:  Chris Bevins was hot on the heals of the 3D team this morning and turned left to the Muir upper pitches while they went straight to the Nose.

Salathe;  I did see a team climb from Hollow Flake ledge to the top of the Ear today.  They were on the reg from the top of the Ear to the Alcove.  White shirts…. Pukes!

Dihedral Wall:  I was out west for a short time this afternoon and spotted Libby leading the long 5.9 pitch up to the start of the Black Cave pitch.  The women are going well and could be off tomorrow depending on if they bail off to the West Butt finish, or do the last 4 pitches of the route.  The ladies are putting on a clinic up there.  Nice to see women on this route as my old friend Bev Johnson was the first woman to solo the route and EC too.
Libby passing the huge roof just off the Dihedral Wall Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lurking Fear:  I did spot a couple of teams today.  One on the 4th and one just past the Grand Traverse.

Feature of the Day:  Yesterdays was the Island in the Sky, PO route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Very quiet at the bridge today.  The parents of my friend, “Jingy”, visited this afternoon.  Nice people!
Several climbers came and went as the day wore on… actually it was pretty boring unless you happened to be me and had a lot of shooting to do!
So that’s the way it is for this the 23rd day of October 2009.
Remember:  Blood doesn’t always prove loyalty.
Later Tom