ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/2/14

By Tom Evans

Yo.. kind of a slow here today with not a lot of action on the cliff, in spite of the great weather.  We had climbers on the Nose, Salathe, Albatross, Mescalito, Zodiac, and New Jersey Turnpike.  Dave Allfrey and Alex Honnold are on the higher reaches of the Turnpike as I type these words. Here are a few shots of today's action.

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

Mark Hudon and Skot Richards started from the deck a few days ago and have nearly reached the start of the Albatross. 

1) Skot cleaning gear as the morning light comes on him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) The following are a series of shots of Alex and Dave on the Turnpike today.  They are trying to do several ElCap routes in just as many days in a row...so they are just trying to get up the routes in a timely manner and not crush the time records each day.  They appeared to be a little rusty to me, but that is to be expected as neither has climbed in the Valley in a long while and certainly not together.  It will take a while for this dynamic, strong team, to hit their stride.  Remember... a rusty start for these guys would be a career day for any of the rest of us!!  They knocked about an hour offf the previous speed record by tossing down a 12:24!!  Nice work on a choss pile like the Pike!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3) Dave getting into some of the aid he is so proficient at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Even the great ones do it.... take selfie's while climbing on ElCap.  Alex is no exception!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) Alex cleaning the steep aid that Dave just lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Alex short fixed above a nasty ledge... if he comes off the rope is not going to catch him before he decks.  Just another pitch in his life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7) Dave lowering out on Alex's lead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Dave doing some seriously steep climbing on the upper middle part of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9) Mescalito... the Italians on the Bismarck Ledge are taking a look at the next pitch, after a comfortable night, and morning lounging in the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  A team, two days into the Nose, did the King Swing without incident today.... but... when they lowered their bags they left the lower out line doubled.  You can expect a looped rope to grab on something at the worst possible time... and this was no exception!  The line blew over and snagged on the shard of rock at the toe of the Boot.  They tried to pull on the bag harder and harder but the line wouldn't release.  So the second had to rap down and free the line, costing them about half an hour.  But they got it fixed and continued upward without incident.  The lesson... don't let loops of rope hang off anything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11) Freeing the line from the Boot shard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Ok another shot from the South Seas cruise I took this winter.  The beach at Bora Bora, French Polynesia, noted as one of the best beaches in the world.  It didn't disappoint!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news;  I will let you know what happened on the Turnpike in tomorrows report.  Kevin Prince did finish his Salathe wall solo push yesterday.  I hear he did it in about 26 hours... not the record but an excellent time!  He was off the couch on this run so with some practice there is no telling what he could do.  Young gun Cheyne Lempe, holds the record at 20 hours and change.  Impressive solo climb for any climber no matter the time!

So that's the way it is, for this Monday, the 2nd day of June, 2014.

Outta here... Capt. Tom