ElCap Reports

ELCap Report 5/29/22

By Tom Evans

Yo.. Interesting weather these days as a cold front swept in from the north and cleared the clouds away and brought bright skies and strong winds to the Valley.  Lots of cool routes going down now. Unlike past seasons the crowds are not a problem as you have your choice of any route you want. So come on out and join the lucky few who are enjoying the great weather.

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

1)  Zodiac is getting some ascents but is not jammed at all. Here we see a team up early and passing the famous Nipple Pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  A windy day sees this team starting the Mark of Zorro pitch on Zodiac,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zenyatta Mondotta is seeing the best dressed team of the season at this time.

3) The Ryan Rex, fresh off Reticent, is seen here on the 4^th pitch of this photogenic route. His partner is Mitchell Mabry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Bivy at the start of the Lightning Bolt Roofs. Love those white lines!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Ryan cleaning the upper Lightning Bolt roof as Mitchell looks on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) First light and an ElCap salute at the start of the kinda scary 9 O’clock roof pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Finishing the above mentioned pitch later in the day taken from way out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8) Always a sweet afternoon when you can cruise the Pancake Flake pitch on the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9) A cloudy day makes it possible to see deep into the Alcove, high on the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10) NIAD Team in the glory of the last pitch of the Nose!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11) We meadow rats watched this team smoke the Nose a day or so ago. We all were saying “who are those guys?” they actually led the Jardine Traverse free instead of the usual sloppy aid grinders who just get by. Turns out it was Connor Herson leading and his dad, Jim, at the belay. They climbed from the Jardine to the start of the Great Roof during the time a team climbed the roof!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12) NA Wall.  This three-man team of, Miles Fullman, Danford Jooste,and Zack Little are blitzing the route. Here they are climbing out of the Cyclops Eye high on the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13) A couple pitches higher they are seen on the traverse above the Cyclops eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14) Over on the Shield Sam Stuckey, Thomas Bukouski, and Cam Peters are braving the cold and high winds on the headwall. Here the leader is back-cleaning some gear on the Triple Cracks pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15) On El Corazon Brent Barghahn is doing the traverse out of the long system of chimneys in the middle of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16) Ryan Larocque is back on the Cap after doing Tribal Rite last week.  He is solo on the Shortest Straw. He is seen here in the beautiful rock at the end of the first pitch. I talked to him after posting this shot and his hips are giving him probelms along with his feet, from the previous 3 walls he has done in the recent past and has decided to give it a rest for a while.and he pulled his kit down this morning.  Nice shot though!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17) Salathe solo climber Yann Camus has been quietly climbing his route for a few days now.  He is mostly in dark corners on this classic track and since he is side on to my camera his shots have not made the report.  However he has been putting the pitches behind him without difficulty.  I got this shot of him on the headwall this afternoon.  I guess he looked down and saw that I was aiming at him so he made this pose which I was glad to shoot!  He will be off shortly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news.. there are many others on the wall who didn’t make the report this time.  To get on the report you need to be visible and in a photogenic location. Visible means wearing bright colors!!  I can’t stress that enough!

So that’s the way it is on this 29^th day of May 2022. Happy BDay JMC where ever you are.