ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 5/28/16

By Tom Evans

Yo… Rain is back in the forecast but many teams are too high to come down.. so a little luck is in order!  The day started sunny with blue skies.  Later in the afternoon some very dark clouds moved down from the high country and were very threatening by the time I departed.  Strange as it seems the rock is nearly empty.  The Nose is clear all the way from the deck to camp 5.  Other occupied routes have a party or two on them.  The Valley is congested and the car traffic at a standstill.  This afternoon I left the meadow and went straight out of the park to the Ranch.

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

Zodiac:  Corey and Kim were climbing off the route after bivying a pitch below Peanut Ledge. 

1) First lead of the day, heading to Peanut ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Wide angle shot of the last several pitches on Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a team climbed from the top of 4 to the start of the Black Tower and bailed.

 

On Iron Hawk Chris and Nathan did finish the Knife Blade Traverse and spent the night at its end.  They were climbing away from the spoon when I left.

3) The belay at the end of the Knife Blade Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Climbing away from the Spoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Over on ZM Sean climbed the third and fourth pitches while I was there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  I did spot Piton Pete starting the direct to the Trip.  I think he is fixing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  NA Wall: Dustin, Liz, and Mark are moving right along on this classic track.  Here they are a couple of pitches above Mazatlán Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Nose: All the parties in the middle of the Nose yesterday are running for the top today.  Here is the lead team topping out this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  The last team in line yesterday is seen here passing the Great Roof just before I departed this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Salathe: Several teams are presently clustered around the Spire.  They may be Freerider teams getting staged for the send.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  ElCap earlier in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12) After I left around 3pm I went up to the Ranch and did some computer work.  A couple hours later a big storm broke over the Valley with pouring rain, thunder… the works.  Up on the Ranch it blew a gale for a couple hours but didn’t rain.  This is the view from the Ranch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  My tent was nearly smashed by the winds but by dark the wind had died down and I was able to get a good nights sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Nothing much to report at the moment.  Plans are being made and logistics calculated.  We await the onslaught!

 

So that’s the way it is, on this Saturday, the 28^th day of May, 2016.

Later, Capt. Tom