ElCap Reports

Yo.. The great weather is here and looking like hanging on for the rest of the season.  Cool up high today as witnessed by the Shield crew in puffy jackets and windbreakers all day!  Most of the action is on the Nose and Salathe/Freerider.  Zodiac is now empty... so this is your window of opportunity for that great classic.

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

1)  The Andy Kirkpatrick Nose expedition is still moving upward, making good progress today.  Here is a team member jugging up to the belay before the pitch to ElCap Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Andy lead the King Swing, among great hooting and hollering from the Bridge.  This shot caught him finishing the pitch, taken from out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  The team behind Andy's Nose crew is seen here climbing to ECT this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  A new group of three TER climbers arrived yesterday and today were seen fixing the first 3 on Aurora, shared with the Trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Jim Reynolds is still in the fight out there on the SW face, enduring the glare and heat on Cosmos... an ambitious solo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Early morning cleaning and as the bags depart, high on the Shield!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Jugging the haul line... always a fun time... high on the Shield!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Waiting at the belay on the Salathe.  Alice Ng's team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Ben Ditto and partner quickly climbed to the Block on Salathe/Freerider and set up camp under their ledge.  Camp Block, Salathe Wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Flower from the Botanical Gardens, Hilo, Hawaii.  Shot during winter cruise to the South Pacific.

 

 

11)  Passing the reef just outside Pago, Pago, American Samoa... South Pacific cruise.

 

 

12)  To attract more climbers and Tourons, the Park Service has hired young women to hang around the Bridge... Eric doesn't seem to mind!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that's the way it is, for this Thursday, the 12th day of June, 2014.

Later, Capt. Tom