ElCap Report 6/20/13

ElCap Report 6/20/13

By Tom Evans

Yo… Whoa, another splendid day, of climbing on ElCap, is in the books!!  This is the best Spring weather I have seen in years.  The breeze is cool and the sun warm.  Action is heating up on the SE Face, thus the SW Face is getting very jealous!  Where are all the Freerider’s and Salather’s hiding?  What about the Shield and other Headwall climbs?  If you don’t do them, then who will?  The ElCap Report will be closing out for the season before you know it, and you will miss all the fun and glory!

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

Waterfall Route:  I have been stalling writing about this climb, because I was not sure PTPP could really make it happen.  But it appears to be off the ground!

1)  Piton Pete, off the ground!  The same distance he fell on the Ranch and broke his ankle… looking dangerous there Pete!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete has been singing the praises of his new “Rope Gun”, Keenen Waechle, who, you may recall, did a recent solo of the Trip.  Kennen is employed in the park and only has the next three days off, so it looks like Pete may have to solo the rest of the route, when Keenan goes back to work.

2)  Here is Rope Gun Keenen, charging up the pitches?... .While Pete hauls kit below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zodiac:  This great route is getting traffic these days.  There were 4 parties on it, two of whom are solo’s.

3)  Here is Beau States, breaking down the belay at the top of the Circle this morning.  He later climbed above the Devil’s Brow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Below him is Steve Bate, who is seen here climbing the infamous, Black Tower.  Steve is going well and looking strong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below Steve is the TER team, of leader, Suk Min Moon, and Min Joon Kang.  They jugged to the top of 3 on their fixed lines and were hauling to the start of 5 when I departed.

5)  Jugging past the "Elephants Eye”, on the direct start, can be somewhat scary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lowest down, a team of two good climbers, Rob and Kindal from Florida, with a determined look about them, climbed the first two this morning. 

 

Tangerine Trip:  The three TER climbers stayed in late and didn’t get a leader out until 10am.  Not good!  A word to the wise….Get that leader out by 7 or 8am and let the others clean up the bivy.

6)  Nice cross lighting shot of the team on the 6th pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SSPO:  Ottawa Doug dusted off the Bering Straits and will spend the night on the Island in The Sky.

7)  Doug, miles out from the wall, rappin back to his kit at the start of the Straits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Doug leading the final, short, pitch to the Island in the Sky this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nose:  Several teams are presently on the route but it is far from crowded.  At the top of the chain is Mike Flood…yep!  Mike hung on Dolt for most of yesterday but took off and did the Jardine Traverse to Eagle Ledge today, where I got this shot of him taking a break.  I was concerned about the small kit he has with him, but hear he got some extra water on Dolt and you know what?  Mike is doing real well and as long as Mike knows the plan, then we don’t need to!!

9)  Mike on Eagle Ledge this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lower down Erik Sloan, Brian Poulsen, and Taylor Sincich, are on the route.  They climbed from Sickle to Dolt while I shot them and will most likely stay on ECT (El Cap Tower) tonight.

10)  The team, hauling kit to Dolt this afternoon.  Sloan in Maroon and Taylor in Green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D:  Two teams are on this climb at the moment. 

11)  One is the team I saw yesterday and are most likely on Camp 4 now, New Mexico boys Spike and Dan.  As Thomas Edison once said, "when your poop bag looks better than you do.......".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The other is Mash Alexander and Everett Phillips, who are doing the route Big Andy style!

 

12)  Salathe:  Thomas and Will survived the epic “Freeblast Haul” and spent the night on Heart Ledge.  Today they climbed to Hollow Flake Ledge while I was shooting.  Here they are digging the kit out of the Hollow Flake… looked like fun!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Shino and Thomas were down from their NIAD this morning and posted a nice time of 22 hours… down from 30 just 4 days ago!  Nice!!

Dave Gealy and Jim Reynolds did an excellent job on the Nose/Reg link up yesterday, posting an impressive time of 20:35.  This much sought after sequence has become a very popular ticket to get punched.

So that’s the way it is, for this Thursday, the 20th day of June, 2013.

Later, Tom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shino and Thomas!

Well done Shino and Thomas, it was great hanging out with you in the meadow, see you again, love Hattie x

photo 10

3rd climber is our son Taylor Sincich,
we are viewing photos from florida. thanks!

Waterfall route!

So interesting that part of the wall. I can't wait to see how it goes.
Thanks for the reports and the great PR work!

Waterfall Route

Thanks Captain Tom - you da man! Awesome action shot of Keenan ;-)

Thanks Tom!

Thanks Tom for your great reports! I will miss them once your spring tour of duty is over. Have a nice summer, and I am of course looking forward to the fall reports.

Wally

was it edison or franklin??

was it edison or franklin?? either way....

great shots tom!! you're in true form with this report.

last day of cubical puking!
b.bob

Thanks!

Made my small donation! Thanks for the pics of our Nose climb last week, and for the time you spend drafting your ever entertaining reports Tom! Please keep at it!