ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/06/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… the good weather just rolls along here in Yosemite. Quite the season thus far. I hope you are enjoying the report and pics this season. The light is just awful for most of the day… far too high in the sky for really great shots. But I do what I can and every now and then get a good one. If I had my druthers, I wouldn’t even come here in the Spring to shoot…but I hate to miss the action and seeing all the folks here. So.. You get what you get, and you don’t complain!

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

Zodiac: The route is getting a lot of attention these days. High on the route the disabled team is moving right along. They climbed from the top of the Black Tower to the start of the Nipple while I was shooting. The climber without a full right arm seems to be doing the leading and a good job of it too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1)  Hauling kit to the White Circle this morning.

　

Lower down a Solo is not far behind the team above. Who is that guy anyway? Seems like he has his ducks in a row.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Solo taking a break at the start of the Black Tower pitch.

　

　

Lower down, the Korean Extreme Team Riders, blasted today and were last seen leading the 4^th pitch. These are experienced wall climbers and should do well…. Except for the deal below… don’t look now!!

Shortest Straw: Matt Thomsen is moving right along at a steady pace. The difficulties do not seem to change his rate either. He was at the joint Zodiac/Straw intersection at 2:30pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Matt wandering among the plates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

4)  Matt and the Zodiac Solo are getting it done at the same rate.

　

Iron Hawk; In a sad turn of events Mark decided to get assistance to get off the route. I have not talked with him, but the storm really sapped his strength and the length of the route, with all the improvements he made, were just a little too much to handle. He also took a fall on the first of the 5.9R pitches and that seemed to clinch the deal. So he called Cheyne Lempe, who recruited Alik Berg, and the two of them helped Mark off the last couple of pitches this morning. A wise move… a 57 year old man with a wife and two kids has no business pushing himself to the breaking point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Mark’s kit being hauled out this morning.

　

The traffic on the Nose moved to the middle of the route today. Pete moved his Show yesterday from Eagle Ledge to Camp 4, so the Nose climbers had to navigate through it for a second day. He will be on the Muir tomorrow and will have the route to himself and Mark. Every one else moved up and will be at Camp 5 or 6 tonight. The JTree Girls bivied at Dolt last night and were seen climbing and hauling kit to Texas Flake this afternoon. My man, Scott Deputy, went thru them on a Dolt run yesterday and reported that their systems are safe but not very efficient. But the girls are getting it done so far. I didn’t see anyone below Dolt today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Boot Flake early in the morning.

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  JTree Girls packing kit on Dolt this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

8)  An excellent example of the JTree crawl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

9)  The Show at Camp 4 this morning.

　

Shield: Ben and Bronson are by now on Chicken head ledge but will go higher today. Off tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  First light on the Shield hit Ben on the pitch below Chicken Head.

　

El Corazon: Madaleine Sorkin and Nik Berry were seen hauling above Mammoth this morning headed to a free run at this Huber creation.

Salathe: I did see a couple of parties above the Spire today but the light was poor and the angle bad for shots.

Out west a couple of teams are starting Lurking Fear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  STICK OF THE DAY!!!! Seen this afternoon, low on Zodiac.

 

In other news: I talked to Hondo at dinner last night in the Café and he said he was pretty tired but ok from his Triple Crown yesterday. He did say that it was unlikely he would ever do Half Dome again!

I talked with Quin, of the Colorado woman’s team, who, with Jesse, did the NIAD yesterday, and she said that they did a 13+ hour climb of the Nose. They looked considerably stronger than previous times I shot them and, although tired, seemed happy with their progress to date.

Climbing  crew at the Bridge today…  nice to have them around… the smell was memorable!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  The Crew.

So that’s the way it is, for this Thursday, the 7^th day of June, 2012.

Later,

Capt. Tom