ElCap Report 6/09/10

ElCap Report 6/09/10

By Tom Evans

Yo… Continuing killer weather here in the Ditch. The action is moving to harder climbs. The Koreans are here in force and going on good routes too. The day was marked by good climbing and stupid moves.  I have to get a shower really soon or the park service is going to tag my ear! So this is going to be to the point and right now. So pay attention all you Pukes because I don’t have time to spoon feed you this stuff….

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

Zodiac: The invisible Koreans who started on the route in earnest yesterday suddenly appeared with colorful shirts today!  Repentant sinners of style… surely the best of all!  They climbed the Black Tower and into the White Circle this afternoon. Maybe I will cut them some slack after all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean leader looking like a big wall climber on Zodiac.  Matching shirt and aid slings.  Could it get any better?

 

The team with the smartly dressed woman, failed to materialize today, but it is not uncommon to take a day off before blasting.  Please come back!!

Lost in America: The Korean team from the Team Extreme Riders showed up and fixed the first pitch of this recently popular route. They are Kum Sek, Jung Shang, and Ki Ched. I asked the leader of the expedition, KYoung Han if they are as good as he was last year when he did the route. I asked “ on a scale of 1 to 10, if you are a 10 then what are they?” He said they were 11’s. So we will see.  They are dressed to the nines and should produce some nice, colorful shots!

Trip: Justin continues to move right along on this route. He was climbing the 11th pitch as I departed.  He was close to Kate and Kitty today and I wondered if they communicated.

Aurora: Kate and Kitty finally escaped the Black Slimy Death and are now climbing up the middle of the Golden Finger of Fate. They are moving very well, using short fixing tactics and delayed hauling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaving the Black Slime of Death behind, early in the morning on Aurora.

 

NA Wall Falcon Closure Area: In what had to be the stupid move of the day, if not the month, a climber rapped down North America today to check out the moves on some imagined free climb. Of course, the Falcon watchers saw him and so did the Falcons, who attacked him when he was above their nest. We watched him for a time and he was met by rangers as he finished the rappels. After a cordial conversation, he was cited and fined. It could have been a lot worse for the misguided lad had not cool heads prevailed. Climbers….stay out of the closed area. Simple enough…no excuses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STUPID MOVE OF THE DAAAAYY!!!

 

Mescalito:  This mixed team of the Brit, Mark, and a Czech, Jan, are sporting a sweet set of home made ledges and are climbing well. When I left they were at the Molar Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEDGES OF THE DAY!

The Lines: The Lines were busy today with ascenders and rappers out for a thrill!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Juggin the Lines.  Notice the huge block standing on the ledge to the right.... whoa dude!

 

Tribal Rite: Mark did the famous Rurp pitch this morning with out much difficulty and is now installed on the ledge 2 from the top where all the routes in the area converge. Off tomorrow for Mark, if he doesn’t try to sneak off tonight. Don’t try it Mark or you will miss out on summit pics!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark coming back to the kit after the Rurp pitch.

 

New Dawn: There is a party of 4 Koreans fixing some on this big route. Also a team of 2 is waiting to go.

Nose: All of the posers are gone from the Nose with the route empty below camp 6 as I type these lines. God knows there were 10 parties all jockeying for position and planning their moves to out fox the competition. What did it get them? THEY ALL BAILED!!!

Higher up a team climbed the Great Roof and vanished above camp 5 late in the afternoon. I am having a memory lapse….were they on the route yesterday or did they come over on the 3D traverse…? It’s a mystery up there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early morning passage on the Great Roof.

 

Shield: The team of Javier and Pedro climbed the final corner and topped out this afternoon. The highway workers did make Chicken Head Ledge this morning and may stay or go higher so as to get off early tomorrow morning. Both teams seemed to handle the situations up there just fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First light on the Shield.

 

Pace Maker: Pete finally made a decision and went right, just as the feature above them, described as “a horror show off width”, threatened to shut them down. A little penji to the right solved the problem.

Salathe: There were a slew of teams climbing from Hollow Flake to the Spire today. Above, the party of Duncan, celebrating his birthday, and Melissa, climbed onto the headwall this afternoon after taking a rest day on the Block yesterday. Hondo reported they were relaxed and having a good time hanging out the day before, when the route was jammed with muscled up free climbers, flexing their ego‘s!!

Further west than that…. Anyone’s guess….

In other news: Very busy at the bridge with a lot of Tourons, most of whom were quite psyched to be learning about climbing. Included among the watchers was a nice family from PA who I didn’t ask about their religion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family viewing the climbers on the Captain.

The Spanish Mescalito team of Raul, Pep, and Joan came down today and hung out at the Bridge for a time with, of course, the obligatory Cobras as their first drink when down from the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spanish Mescalito Team!! With Grant Haskins, Yosemite old timer, looking on as Obi looks for ants.  Bob is glassing the face.  Dave, hidden, is holding Obi's leash.

It was a good day here and we had lots of things to see and talk about.

On a personal note, I have come down with the dreded Valley Munge, a respriatory bug that seems to run throught this place from time to time... so you may be getting some delayed reports.

So that’s the way it is on ElCap on this the 9th day of June, 2010.

Later Ansel

 

PTPP The offwidth on

PTPP The offwidth on Pacemaker is the route. A bolt at the end of the offwidth provides for a penji to just below Tower Of The People on Heart Route.

Brit on Salathe is Duncan

Brit on Salathe is Duncan Critchley, briefly NIAD record holder with Romain Vogler in the mid-80s ... also notable for rescuing himself from high on Sunkist with various broken bones after a 100' fall during a solo attempt ... again some time in the 80s.

Go for the ear tag...all the

Go for the ear tag...all the cool dudes bling up their ears. Perhaps we'll see you this weekend as old geezers gaze up at what used to be and Mike is determined will be again...he's shooting for September either solo or with his partner. I think we will have Art with us this weekend, he is Mike's big wall partner. I'm limited to gym climbing for a bit due to having ventral hernia surgery 10 days ago as I need to pop off the wall in a hurry if I feel anything repop. Susan of (Susan and Mike)

Hey Tom, Hope you get better

Hey Tom,

Hope you get better soon. Love the pics at the bridge. The Spanish guys off of Mescalito are classic.
Hudon getting it done, Kate and Kitty sending...

Live well at the bridge,

Doug

Hey Tom, I think the Brit on

Hey Tom, I think the Brit on Salathe is actually named Duncan. But, who can know for sure?! Allyson

Nice, looks like Hudon will

Nice, looks like Hudon will be back to the flat world today with stories a'plenty!

-Pate

Stellar work,

Stellar work, Mark....Ghoulwe!
DJ

Way to go HUD. Nice work

Way to go HUD. Nice work friend.

Good job team Aurora! Slime

Good job team Aurora! Slime pitch rules....if you can fill a bottle.....great job up there, and thank YEW Tom!

Perhaps he was egg hunting?

Perhaps he was egg hunting?

STUPID MOVE OF THE

STUPID MOVE OF THE DAAAAYY!!!

Maybe of the week, month or even year. What a bonehead!

He's ... ... the most

He's ...

... the most interesting man in the world.

Mark! Almost there....nice

Mark! Almost there....nice job tracking him, Tom.

-John

The family on the Bridge is

The family on the Bridge is almost certainly Mennonite.

Many Mennonite families in Alberta too.

Marv

That Princess Rocks, Huh?

That Princess Rocks, Huh?

Great job Mark...almost

Great job Mark...almost there!!
Glad Pete is finding his way. Love the shot of the family at the bridge.
Remember folks it is all about color on the Captain :)
Feel better Tom...hot tea with lemon and whiskey should help:)

The Princess :)

Looking Good will be

Looking Good will be interesting to see how the Koreans do on Lost in America truly a great route

Good job Mark almost there

Russ

I thought that was Grant!

I thought that was Grant! Holy Shizz! He DOES exist!
Good on ya, Tom.

MARK!!!!! WooHoo!!
bitchen. Skully

Hey Skully...good to see you

Hey Skully...good to see you here!!

The Princess:)