ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/3/15

By Tom Evans

Yo… The wind persists and it was much cooler today at the Bridge.  Clouds have moved into the Valley and there is some talk of possible rain, soon.  The Cap is seeing some good ascents these days so stay tuned for even more great climbing.  It is getting late here in the Café so I am going to write the report and put it out in the morning.  That will probably be happening a lot more, as I am getting pretty tired by day’s end and need to get on the road while it is still light, so I can get to the Ranch alive!

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

1)  Bad Sign:  EE and Kate are moving into the more aesthetic rock and are in good shape thus far.  Here Erik is cleaning the pitch Kate lead late yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Zodiac:  Brits Andy and Charles topped out this afternoon around 4pm.  Here Charles is clearing the belay at Peanut Ledge this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Alejandro Soto is on Zodiac now, wearing a “too bright” shirt.  Two years ago he became the first Costa Rican climber to ascent ElCap when he did the Salathe Wall Route.  This shot is on the 2^nd pitch of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Shortest Straw:  John Selove is now off the route and onto the final 3 of Zodiac.  He may just stay on Peanut Ledge tonight and get finished tomorrow.  Here he is hauling kit just short of Peanut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  NA Wall:  The combined 6 person team, we have been following, climbed off the route this afternoon.  The last pitch, seen here, was lead by June Brown, and the rest of the climbers quickly followed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Mescalito:  Yann and Nicolas are moving along very well on this classic track.  Here they are about to lead the pitch to the Molar Traverse.  This will probably be a relatively fast ascent of the route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Nose:  The large clusters of climbers continue to plague the route.  One needs to have social skills to deal with all the people around you!  This is the long pitch to the junction with the Jardine Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Alfredo and Kyle sped up the route this morning and quickly got to the front of the line.  Here Alfredo leads off toward the Boot while a line of climbers are hot on his heals!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Alfredo literally bounced his way across the King Swing, as you can see here!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Kyle followed the Swing with a pack on his back, something NIAD climbers will have to do.  Remember that wearing a pack changes your center of gravity and makes a pendulum considerably more strenuous.  Here Kyle couldn’t get the momentum necessary to complete the swing, not an uncommon problem, so got a rope tossed his way from Alfredo.  Kyle made a diving attempt and after a time, made the catch, seen here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Jardine Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  I got some more shots from way out west, as I like the long view sometimes.  The climber here is almost to Dolt Tower late in the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  TOM’S SHOT OF THE DAY!!!  The King Swing from way, way, out west!  Love the lighting!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Here we see a climber cleaning the long pitch to the start of the last pitch, of the Nose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)  The Charley, Jim, and Cameron are out west doing the Dihedral Wall.  The Dihedral is the third route done on ElCap and was technically the hardest, for several years.  This shot shows them on the 5^th pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  I went down to the LT to shoot Trina on 2^nd day of her fundraising climb for Crohn’s and Colitis research.  Unfortunately, she was on the next to the last pitch and around a corner out of view from any place I could reach.  She and Mark reached the top later in the afternoon.  Best wishes to her and guide Mark Grundon, of YMS.

So that’s the way it is, for this Wednesday, the 3^rd day of June, 2015.

Later, Ansel Evans