ElCap Report 10/25/11Submitted by Tom Evans on Wed, 10/26/2011 - 02:09 |
ElCap Report 10/25/11
By Tom Evans
Yo…Finally a Fall day here in the Ditch. It was windy and pretty cool up on the cliff today. Puffy’s were in evidence on the Nose and Salathe, while shirt sleeves were the dress on other routes.
News Flash: Hans and Hondo’s Nose attempt put off until next week!
The Big Stone is seeing a late season resurgence these days as the weather is expected to hold for another week at least. So… last call for ElCap climbers!! All aboard!
Today’s ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!
Zodiac: The British team did get two fixed today.
1) British team working the second pitch.
Higher up the Montana couple jugged there lines to the top of 4 and were on the Black Tower ledge as I departed around 2:30.
2) Montana man, jugging the line.
ZM: Looks like Alex is coming off this excellent route.
Trip: The team of Matt and Daryl are starting the route. I left as they were finishing the first pitch.
3) Matt reaching near the end of the first pitch.
PO Wall: The Montana boys are cruising up the route using the short fix 3 man system. Nice to watch experienced wall climbers in action!
4) Belay at the start of the 4th pitch on the PO.
5) Leader heading into thin aiding on the PO.
5) Tempest: Alik is moving right along these days. He is not climbing as fast as he is capable but is enjoying late mornings and cruise control.
Starting the Traverse pitch.
6) Leaning on a block…looks solid to me!
New Dawn: Paul and Tom did the long traverse pitch this morning and were working up the shallow dihedral toward Wino Tower this afternoon.
7) Getting gear at the start of the traverse.
8) Gagner's secret revealed!! As you can plainly see, his left arm is an artificial bionic device that enables him to climb with super-human strength!
Tommy’s project: He and Becca went down from the top this afternoon and are going to work on pitches 14 and 15, or so the videographer from Sender Films, jugging up to shoot them, tells me.
Nose: The top portion of the route is empty but traffic has increased low down. A mixed team of two, Glen and Meg, are in the lead but Meg is making the mistake of wearing a big pack, even though they are hauling a bag.
9) What not to wear on your back while jugging.
Just behind them is the three person mixed team of Wes, Quinn, and Prairie.
The wind was up by afternoon and it looked pretty cold out there on the prow of the Nose.
10) Training for Mt. Everest on ElCap!
11) Salathe: A European team, whose names are Luka and Hans, are dressed just right, and as a result have sent the entire route in just 14 hours. They were last seen, today, moving up the headwall as I departed. See folks... it pays to dress well!!
What to wear while jugging on the Salathe. Hans has it made now!
12) Luka on the traverse to Sous le toit ledge, while Hans waits.
Higher up they encountered and passed the team from the last two days. This team will probably get climb off close behind the other team.
In other news: Very cool weather seems to be on the docket these days…a welcomed relief from many days of unseasonable warm weather. As mentioned above, the speed shot on the Nose is off for a while.
So that’s the way it is, for this Tuesday, the 25th day of October, 2001.
So long..
Tom
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Another Excellent Report
Thanks Tom for making these reports. I (and many others) look forward to each new one.
-Todd
Solo Dan - time on the wall
Tom,
Did you ever determine how many days Solo Dan was actually on the route? Going through the El Cap reports in that period it looks like it must have been 10 or 11 days (counting getting to Sickle, in whatever manner that was done). The first sighting was at Dolt Hole on Oct 15, and it probably took 2 days to get there. If that was the case, and if he topped out on Oct 23, that would put it at 10 days. That amount of time on the wall and the thing becomes an odyssey. A lot of work, but what a memory that will be. Hats off and congratulations to Dan. Thanks for keeping us posted, Tom.
-bk
Salathe: European team
May be wrong, but it might be Hansjörg Auer from Austria dressed in blue and yellow.
Thanks, Tom!
Straight quote from your homepage!
THESE REPORTS ARE THE MUSINGS OF AN OBSERVER WHO IS FAR FROM THE ACTION AND ANY RELATION TO THE TRUTH IS THE MEREST OF COINCIDENCE. SOME OF WHAT IS WRITTEN IS SIMPLY A FABRICATION, WRITTEN TO MAKE THE STORY "BETTER". SO DON'T TAKE THIS STUFF TOO SERIOUSLY.
I never thought you expressed any malice in your reports of Dan. It's good to hear the back story, but you have the right to make your own judgments from the bridge. It's entertainment and we appreciate it. You're like the Perez Hilton of Climbing. Just way more classier. Thanks for all the work. Way to go, Dan!
Good on ya, Tom!
Good on ya for that one, Tom! Seeing a mistake and confronting it is the proud way to go. Dan, much to his credit, modified the level of his dream given the cards he was dealt and succeeded. Good on him also!
Mark
No worries Tom!
I have admit, I was enjoying the Solo Dan stories, admiring him for his tenacity. That still holds true. You witnessed fixing lines and were amazed that he didn't bail, and you made a guess. You also were quite nice in your reporting, as you always are... I didn't detect any negativity from you (just the usual all-in-fun). So don't beat yourself up, and it takes ballz to admit when you're wrong. Kudos, Tom! And congratulation to Solo Dan too!
-cleo
P.S. can't wait to see what you say about me when I finally get around to attempting El Cap! Lol!