ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/23 to 5/27/2014

By Tom Evans

Yo... perfect weather is bringing them back to the Valley, although today was not a very busy one on the Cap.  Hudon and Jones are down from Reticent after a very nice ascent of this difficult route.  A Zodiac team finished this afternoon and a solo is going into the circle now.  The Nose has had a lot of action in the past few days.  New Dawn has the normal Piton Pete crew on it but have not cleared the trees yet... maybe later in the week! The British climber James McCaffy and his partner are half way up El Nino.  The rest is sort of explained in the pics below.

 

1)  Local Red Tail hawk, on the attack!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Big features high up on the Muir and Nose.  King Kong chimney is in the center right of the shot. Camp 6 on the far right.  Notice the climber on the Muir, left side of pic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Max Jones at the belay high on Reticent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Mark Hudon cruisin through some neat rock features on Reticent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Climbing off the top of the Black Tower on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Afternoon finds this team leader climbing into the Great White Circle on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Max Jones leading the difficult next to the last pitch on Reticent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) Walker Emerson turns the corner below the roof, while Ben Ditto belays on their send of Freerider from Heart Ledge in a day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9) Afternoon heat on Mark of Zorro pitch on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10) climbing off Texas Flake late in the afternoon.  Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11) Mash Alexander leading the so called "Silverfish" pitch on the 3D. Take note Pukes.. the man knows what to wear!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12) Morning lead off Peanut Ledge on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13) The pitch into Camp 5 where Hayden Kennedy recently took a 70 foot plunge.  He was injured but is recovering fast. This is a random dude looking good! Nose route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news... some of the "Bigs" are coming in talking "low hanging fruit".  I'll keep you posted!  Nice weather now so come on out and get on the route of your choice.

So that's the way it is, for this 27th day of May, 2014.

Later, Capt. Tom