ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/23/12

By Tom Evans

Yo… Wow!…Fall has really fallen here! Windy, very chilly here at the Bridge today … quite unusual for this time of year. The season is closing out now and this will be the last “scheduled” Report. I will keep shooting as long as I am here, so if you are interested in shots, then be sure to contact me. I may write or post something, if anything interesting or extraordinary happens… so stay tuned. It has been a pretty interesting season with a couple of speed records on the Nose and some other great climbing. As best I can judge, Alex Honnold had the best season of any climber in the history of Yosemite climbing. Our congratulations go out to him!

The great weather made for lots of opportunities to climb the Captain, but big wall climbing seems on the wane at this time. Maybe the Fall will be more productive on the Captain. Congratulations to the climbers who came out and gave it their very best, no matter the result.

I plan to be back for the Fall season, as that is the best time of year to photograph climbers on ElCap. So stay tuned, when the air is crisp and the leaves start to turn, for there will be another round of my best photographic efforts and tales of climbers striving to be the best they can.

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

Trip: The Extreme Team climbers on the route are moving up steadily and are just now on the start of the bolt ladders. They should be off tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1)  The first light felt pretty good up there I would bet, as the wind and cold were a force with which to be reckoned.

　

Lower down, Brant Didden, who likes those damned white shirts, is kind of tall and lanky, with an easy style, is making rapid progress up the route. He is doing the Virginia start to the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Brant on the VA start to the Trip.

　

NA Wall: Raging Roger and Ned gave it up on the route today, bailing from Big Sur ledge this morning. Seems a certain young bird has captured Roger’s full attention!

Tempest: Kate and EE are putting the pitches behind them. They lead 4 and 5 while I was there today. Always fun to watch these big wall pro’s in action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Erik cleaning while the bags move up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

4)  Kate at the belay.

　

　

Tribal: Adam and Jordan continue to climb the route. They were at the base of the Carrot when I left today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Bivy in the Big Air on Tribal Rite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

6)  Jordan doing the cleaner’s dance.

　

Nose: Pretty empty up there! Kevin Quaderer and Carter Jensen were the point team in the Stovelegs today. They were at Dolt when I departed for the day. Below them a team, in black, climbed into the Legs later in the morning.

Salathe/Freerider: The team of two from yesterday were nowhere to be seen today. Maybe I missed them up in the corners above the Spire?

Madeleine Sorkin and jugging partner, climbed to the end of the Monster Crack and retired in the early afternoon.

Hayden Kennedy and Will Standhope are going to take a run at Freerider starting tonight. Neither have done any training runs on the route this season…. it should be interesting to see how things come out!

A Korean team of three hauled some kit over to Lurking Fear and are starting in the morning.

In other news: Not much other news these days. There seems to be a discussion, about tossing bags off ElCap, raging on Supertopo these days. I would like to remind you that tossing a 100lb bag off a 3,000ft cliff is asking to have your life and that of an innocent bystander ruined forever.

There is a reason that such tactics are against the law, and those who think they are so smart that they can do it safely, are letting their inflated egos overpower their intelligence. If you have gotten away with it in the past then count your blessings and don’t do it anymore. The little energy you will save will not make up for the disaster you could cause.

On that pleasant note, I will close out the Report for the Spring Season. I would greatly appreciate any donations to the site that you might wish to send. I also thank all you loyal readers for making my tireless efforts so worthwhile. Have a great summer!

So that’s the way it is, for this Saturday, the 24^th day of June, 2012.

Until next time,

Tom Evans