ElCap Report 6/1/16

ElCap Report 6/1/16

By Tom Evans

Yo…Excellent warm weather is here and the Cap is seeing a lot of action… so come on out with Capt. Tom and get all the latest from our favorite rock in the world! 

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

1 Zodiac:  Craig Gorder climbed off the route this afternoon after a bivy at the famous Peanut Ledge.  He moved along well on this route and seemingly had no problems.  Here he is packing up to leave Peanut Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1a  Here is a closer view of the ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Lower down a team of two went for a ZIAD and did it for sure if what I saw through the lens was at it appeared.  Here they are in the White Circle this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 Not too much time elapsed until they were cruising the Nipple pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a couple of teams were milling around the first two pitches… warm over there.

 

4 ZM:  Sean continues to make it look pretty east with half the day climbing and half lounging.  Here he is at the start of the day… out of the sack early today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Tangerine Trip:  Who are those guys?  Here they are leading off on the second half of the 5th pitch.  Looking good to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NA Wall:  Dustin and Mark reached the deck today after Mark cut his thumb pretty deeply.  They plan on going up when Mark is healed.

 

6)  On the Nose a couple of teams and a 3D team worked the upper third of the route today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  NIAD:  Tony and Stanley did the route today via the Jardine Traverse.  Tony has the white helmet and Stan the red. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Here is Tony on the long pitch to Eagle ledge after the Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  By three pm they were past the Great Roof and here we see Stanley leading the wonderful, Pancake Flake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down a few parties lurked but didn’t threaten.

 

10)  Muir:  I did spot Kitty and Elaina up at Gray Ledges on this shot from out west.  Looking good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  I did see a couple of free climbers, brothers Mike and Greg Kerzhner, over on the Beak Flake pitch… working on it but stopped when the sun came around the corner.. it appears that they are staging from Gray Ledges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salathe/Freerider:  I did spot some movement above the Spire today but nothing much.

 

12)  Octopussy:  John climbed the Octopus aka “Half Dome on ElCap”.  Here he is early in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Lost World:  It looked awfully hot over there this afternoon.  Here Kate is getting ready to start leading in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dihedral Wall:  I did see Adam Long and Zac Creager fix two this afternoon.

 

14)  “BACK IN THE DAY”  In May 1969 Chouinard, Jones, Pratt and Hennick made the first attempt on the Wall of the Early Morning Light.  The line they chose was the right side of ECT and then traverse out to the long seams leading to Wino Tower.  After several days of climbing Hennick lead out to the seams but found no crack … so they bailed.  That sorta forced Harding to take another line, the next year, because he was not going to climb half the route on someone else’s line.  Here you see Chouinard and Jones getting ready to climb the line fixed by Pratt and Hennick who were above.  Glenn Denny is the lanky guy standing next to them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  Who is that Guy??  I was shooting down at the clearing at Devil’s Elbow, when this guy and his family walked up to me and started chatting.  After a time, we realized that we were climbing around the same time, back in the day.  I told him the routes I had done on the Cap and he told me what he had climbed.  He then looked at me and said “Who are you?” I said “Tom Evans”.. he replied “Oh yeah, I remember you.”  Then he said, “my name is Layton Kor.”  His wife and son were with him.  Did you guess his name?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, on this Wednesday, the first day of June, 2016.  Remembering my parents, Margaret and Murray Evans on what would have been their 76th wedding anniversary.  They are both long gone but never far from my thoughts.

Capt. Tom

 

 

Thanks Tom

Great shot of Peanut Ledge!!! I want to be there...

Thanks for the Back in the Day and Mr Layton Kor photos.

regan

Layton Kor....Legend of Eiger

Layton Kor....Legend of Eiger Winter direttisima.....Central Pillar...

Love the Kor shot. Met him a

Love the Kor shot. Met him a few times climbing in CO BITD. Never did a Kor route that wasn't stiff for its grade . . . .

Hey from PtPP and Anita

Great photos from BITD Tom! I did not know that story about the route that later became New Dawn.

Her name is Batgirl. Sheesh.

Hey, Batgirl - get off the damn phone! ;)