ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 10/5/17

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Splendid weather now dominates the climbing season.  Warm days and cool nights are making for perfect climbing conditions.  You need to come on out and get on the great rock as it doesn’t get better than it is now.  The big trades are getting a lot of attention but some interesting climbing is going down on the not so popular, but deserving routes.  This report covers the climbing from 9/27 to 10/5/2017.

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

The next several shots are from the recently completed, third ascent of Disorderly Conduct by Jon Rigg and Chris Trull.

1)  Afternoon light catches Chris on the incredible “Sweetness” pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Lower on the route Chris is doing a pitch shared with Genesis.  Notice the “Carrot” on Tribal Rite in the left portion of the shot. Can you find the Horse Head on the Carrot?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  John leads off on some beautiful rock, high on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  High on the route some of the most spectacular rock on the Cap is passed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Late on the route Jon leads up toward the left edge of the Harding Roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Jon is just a few moves from the top in this long lens shot of the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  A wall style team hauling kit to Sous le Toit ledge on the Salathe Wall route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Roof pitch, Salathe Wall route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Talking it over, Sickle Ledge, Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Packed at the belay, top of the Sickle, Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  I did see old timers, Timmy O’Neil (leading) and Jimmy Chin, on the Jardine Traverse on their NIAD a few days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Polish team on the Trip start to Aurora, a few days ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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13)  Name the climb… win a fee view of ElCap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  New Zealander, Dan Head is making exceptional time on his wall style ascent of the Nose.  Traverses and length make the Nose a hard solo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Up on the Muir I spotted Dino and Gena a pitch above the Gray Bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  Two days later Gena was spotted leading the last of the splendid upper dihedral pitches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  Marek and Magda are seen here passing the Black Cat on the Trip start to Aurora.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18)  Out west on Aquarian, Steve Gerberding is seen hauling kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19)  The Freerider/Salathe routes are getting a lot of attention these days.  Here the mixed team of Alix and Matt are doing the Monster Crack from the bottom… maybe to avoid the hard move from the Ear to the Crack.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20)  Mescalito has a new team on it.  They are, Chad and Ian, seen here leading off Stork Ledge (aka Anchorage ledge) to the Seagull.  The two bird pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21)  Fall is definitely in the air now as the Maples along the roads are turning yellow and the Oaks are starting too.  My favorite tree in the park, the Sugar Maple across from the chapel, showed me some color yesterday in this shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  The traffic continues to be a huge drag on my level of happiness, but there are a lot of construction projects that need to be done before winter sets in…. so I guess I will just have to live with it this season.  The hoopla from the rockfalls has died down now but those scars are still very impressive!

So that’s the way it is, for this Thursday, the 5^th day of October, 2017.

Capt. Tom… basking in the glow of ElCap.