ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/17/15  Today’s climbing and Rescue Report.

By Tom Evans

Yo.. High clouds and thus cooler temperatures made for a nice day up on the Captain.  Everyone is moving up well enough and we did have a rescue this morning/afternoon.  Read about it all, below!  Mason Earl and Brad Gobright sent their long standing project from the ground to Golden Gate today!!!

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

1)  I had a nice visit with a mom and her ducklings this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Zodiac:  The Korean Alpine Club Team was finishing the MOZ pitch as I departed around 2:30 this afternoon.  Here the leader is about half way up the pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Later in the afternoon I got this shot from out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Sea of Dreams:  Andy was up and going by 9am and I got this shot of him just above the belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Real Nose:  What does one do when they have so much time on their hands?  Deal with the junk show of course!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Nose:  There was a nice NIAD team on the route today.  Here the leader does a ninja move on the King Swing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  His partner got a center of gravity lesson when he did the swing with a pack.  When you have a pack on and start leaning forward to grab the flakes, you will do a face plant as your center of gravity has shifted to way up on your chest.  A good way to break your wrist!  However he recovered and did it on the next run.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Lower down I spotted a guy waiting for his partner while relaxing on the left end of Sickle Ledge this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did spot a team of two on the Muir Gray Bands Traverse but the shot wasn’t much and they were dressed in gray.

Lower yet I did spot a team a pitch below Gray Ledges this afternoon.  3D…Shield…Muir???

 

TOM'S SHOT OF THE DAY!!!

9)  Brad and Mason and staff were spotted below the A-5 traverse this morning.  Here Ben Ditto is in the lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Aquarian:  Josie McGee and Kevin Prince were spotted doing a push on the route…just above Timbuktu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A rescue was called in by Matt Stanich, who was having difficulties with his hands yesterday, and took the day off.  Well, he wasn’t any better today and his provisions were running out so he called for assistance from high on the Tangerine Trip.  The call came in to YOSAR HQ at around 7am.

11)  I went down, set up my camera, and took a look to see what was going on.  10:44 am Matt was just sitting on his ledge waiting for the rescue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  11:11 am.  Old Reliable #551 flew in with the gear necessary for the top down rescue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  The gear was dropped to the YOSAR crew who had been flown up earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  12:37 pm.  Bud Miller got the call and was lowered down the face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  12:42 am.  Bud was just above Matt and moving in to join him on the ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  12:50 pm.  Bud arrived at the ledge with Matt and immediately started arranging Matt’s gear so they could be raised and take the kit with them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  1:20 pm.  By this time the kit had all been packed and they were ready to be raised by the topside crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18)  1:36 pm.  Bud and Matt were well on their way to the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

19)  1:42 pm.  Bud and Matt reached the top and were soon off the cliff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was one of the “nice” rescues that we occasionally have on ElCap.  There was no impact injury and no immediate crisis.  The YOSAR staff handled it without incident and it was over by early afternoon.  Many of the instrumental participants were not written about in this brief summary but they are none the less important.  Congratulations to YOSAR for another great performance.

So that’s the way it is, on this Wednesday the 17^th day of June, 2015.

Capt. Tom