ElCap Reports

Yo... Splendid weather now... cool and sunny... no rain in any forecast.  Still lots of open routes and plenty of time for you to get on something.

We did have an accident last evening.  Alex and Brandon were fixing the first on Lunar Eclipse when Brandon pulled a head and the next piece, a newer BD #5 nut, as I recall, had its cable break!  The next piece down, another nut with a sling on it had the biner come off the sling.  Anyway Brandon went to the deck and YOSAR was called to the scene.  Broken hip was the call from the scene and Brandon was collected and flown out on a med-evac flight.  I talked to Alex this morning and it seems that Brandon was lucky... he has a very badly bruised hip, a broken rib, and a lost tooth or two but other wise is ok.  Check your nuts!!

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

1)  Last nights moon rise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Jeff and Stan are out in the heat of the west side on Lurking Fear.  Here they are on the 2nd pitch this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Ben Ditto and a buddy finished Free Rider this morning.  Here is Ben on the traverse under the Salathe headwall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Alice Ng leading the pitch to Sois le Toit on the Salathe route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Big Andy Kirkpatrick and the lads, breaking down the bivy in the Grey Bands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Andy leaving the bags at the start of the Grey Bands traverse to later be hauled to the top of the Great Roof in a single haul.  Smart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Turning the corner on the Great Roof.. Andy taking a shot of his partner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  The next team down on the Nose had some problems figuring out to do on the KS, but finally got it done.  Here the King Swing leader waits for some gear to come down from the top of the Boot so he can protect the next section to Eagle Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Lowering off the Boot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Stevie G and that G-Damned gray shirt and pants, showed up, with the boys from down south, to do Zodiac. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Blast from the past... a year or so ago this was one of my favorite shots... maybe yours too.  ElCap Spire, Salathe Wall, ElCap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Sunset over Lanai, Hawaii.  This shot taken from our cruise ship this winter.  So Sweet!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that's the way it is, for this Friday, the 13th day of June, 2014.

Later, Capt. Tom