ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/05/10

By Tom Evans

Yo… Great day today. Sunny and warm. Why are you staying away? The SE Face is practically empty and so is the Nose. There is good action to watch but it would be a lot better if you were here to experience it with the Bridge Crew!  Dave Goodwin wrote about his accident on Mescalito on Supertopo.com in the ElCap Report for 6/04 so look it up and see what happened.

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

Zodiac: The Koreans climbed the 2^nd pitch today and the other team left a fixed rope at the top of 2 yesterday. No one is making a blasting move at the moment.

Aurora: I did talk with Kate and Kitty this morning and they are psyched to be climbing on a great route with each other. They are moving freight today and blasting in the morning.

Mescalito: The Spanish team is moving along smartly on this long, sustained Dawn Wall Classic. They finished the long right leaning corner and were on the Molar Traverse when I left today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Belay on Mescalito.

Tribal Brian: Brian is getting way up there and is getting difficult to see and photograph with any confidence from the bridge. This shot was not taken from the bridge.  He is climbing well and easily overcoming the difficulties of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

 

Brian, up and at it early today.

 

Tribal Mark: After half a day off Mark was out of bed early and moving along well. He seems to have taken to this aid climbing stuff pretty well! I did talk to a guy who was on the Nose and he said that Mark was pretty chatty up there… well I guess so after almost a week alone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Mark moving out early today.

By late morning he had moved along well and then…. it happened…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Mark Hudon......STICK OF THE DAAAAAYY!!!!

I know, I know, it is a very short stick and only used for rivet ladders and he would not use it for any other reason… but I need material and this is all I had on the lad!!

 

Nose: I didn’t see the 3 man French Team this morning and figured they were in the upper dihedrals out of my view. They should be off today or early tomorrow.

We did have another NIAD today as local Zack Milligan and the recently invisible, KFC blitzed up the route in the near record time of …. Well…I don’t know their time so I am going to make up one….mmmmm…. 13 hours, 11 minutes, 8 seconds. Good work guys! They were past the Roof by 1pm and are most certainly off by now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Zack Milligan, who BTW hates the EC Report and will be pissed that his picture is on it… running hard on the King Swing.

He did get schooled at the end of the pitch, as he tried the too low route to the belay ledge, across from the top of the Boot, but after a time figured it out.

Ben, the solo on the Nose, climbed to ECT and the Boot late in the afternoon. I didn’t stay around to watch him do the King Swing but the lad appears to be quite proficient at the solo game.

Muir: Colin and Davis, representing the UK on the Captain at the moment, are at this moment at the top of the route after a well done ascent…. Well… maybe I made up the part about them being on top… but they should be if they aren’t! A smooth crew, operating efficiently, having a good time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

It is almost over now guys… be sad and glad at the same time.

Lower down the solo, Alex White, is moving along well thus far. He is on the upper part of the route now and he enjoyed the good stuff all day! He will most likely bivy on the sloping ramp at the start of the thin nutting pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Alex climbing some nice features on the Muir Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Alex finishing up the hauling on the Muir.

Shield: Dave and Scott are making good time up the CP classic high on the SW Face of the Cap. They had plans to do the entire headwall in a day ….but I don’t think so, Bros…. They were starting the Triple Cracks when I departed at 4pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

In the steep on the Shield Headwall.

Pace Maker: Mark and Pete continue to put the pitches behind them and they seem to have complete control over their Junk Show!! This is a whole new ball game folks! Hell, Pete could be doing speed ascents by fall!!

Salathe: The French team was spotted climbing off Sous le Toit this afternoon and will be lucky to make Long Ledge for the Night. Off tomorrow.

Dave Tripplett, the owner of the dog seen in a recent report, and buddy Wagner are on the Salathe and climbed from the Hollow Flake to the Alcove today. Dave led the pitch above the Ear and I got some shots of the lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

Dave on the pitch above the Ear.

Never Never Land: I looked today but could not see any sign of the guys who were over there yesterday.

Lurking Fear: All woman’s team of Althea and Libby climbed this route in a day a couple of days ago and were able to help with the Mescalito situation on top that evening.

In other news: Gene Malone make a run up from the valley today, bringing all kinds of goodies and a cold supply of Cobras! The Bridge Crew swelled in numbers throughout the day and a good time was had by all. We watched with interest as two, 3,000 ft ropes were lowered off the Dawn Wall this afternoon. Ah yes… the cavers are back. They are doing their rappelling and jugging thing over the next several days. Should be interesting to watch. I recall the record for rapping was 7 or 8 minutes and for jugging up was around an hour and 8 minutes. As climbers we all shuttered at the thought of going up or down that line!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

Bridge crew, restocked with provisions!

So that’s the way it is on ElCap for this the 5^th day of June 2010.

Later Tom