ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/4/15

By Tom Evans

Yo… It looked like rain today but the clouds came and went, with no rain.  Tomorrow the chance for rain has been reduced down to 20%...not much of a chance as things go in Yosemite.  But that hasn’t stopped climbers from deciding that it was going to rain for sure, so the great rock is mostly empty.  So…not much to report on today.  Recent update to the weather is showing no rain for the next 10 days... this is it Pukes... you gotta dance while the band is playing... and they are playing your song!

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

1)  Zodiac:  Lance and Ted are cruising along, enjoying the cool weather on the route.  Here Lance is having some problem cleaning the pitch into the Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Later, Ted lead the Flying Buttress pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  By mid afternoon the lads were hanging out and enjoying a leisurely lunch in the center of the Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Trip:  Mike Tupper is leading on the center of the route while Mike Ierien lounges on their portaledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Sea of Dreams:  Callun Coldwell-Storry (I was misinformed about his last name) leads the pitch above the Laura Scudders this morning… they are ready for the rain… that never came.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Meg Curry, solo on Mescalito made the ledge at the start of the Bismarck ramp this afternoon.  Here she is just below it late this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  By early afternoon she had hauled kit to the ledge and will have the deluxe Bismarck Ledge to sleep on tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Nose:  A surprise awaited me to when I focused on the route today.   All but one team …of the many on the route yesterday… BAILED!!  So many teams, so many bailers!!  The surviving team of three climbers, climbing off camp 5 this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  The leader here has lowered to do some back cleaning on the famous “changing corners” pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Shield:  Over on the Shield, the famous Finish climber, Saku, climbed onto the route after climbing 1500 ft, from the deck, to get to the start.  Here he is on the initial traverse pitch to the Shield Roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Later I went out west to get this shot of him arranging kit under the roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Taft Point in cloud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Maple leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Dogwood leaves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Recent weather forecasts predict dry weather for the next 10 days… so this is it Pukes…your time to stop messing around and get up on that route you have been wanting to do for so long.

So that’s the way it is, at the end of this Sunday, the 4^th day of October, 2015

Later, ElTom