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ElCap Report 6/8/13

Submitted by Tom Evans on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 01:53
ElCap Report 6/8/13
By Tom Evans
Yo…. Today was interesting, with a temperature of 105 at the SAR Hq and 5 hours over 100 degrees. So it was miserable on ElCap and you could sure tell. I saw no one left of the Nose, but didn’t go out to the western part of the ElCap meadow, to see who was cooking, over by Lurking Fear. No one was climbing very fast today. So, not a lot of shots to get, or for you to see.
Today’s ElCap Report…written just for you…unique in all the world!
Zodiac: The highest team, of Robert and Kevin, were up early and first to lead off from their bivy. They were headed to Peanut Ledge when I departed. They are looking good but must be suffering in this heat. I had a similar situation when I climbed it in 1995. We were down to a few sips of water and a long way from the top. My partner and I both suffered severely and I vowed, as most do at the top of the rock, never to climb ElCap again. I tried, but have not gotten up it since!
1) Lead team on Zodiac, moving freight up to the belay before Peanut Ledge.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2) Lower down, one of the Korean teams,  from the Team Extreme Riders, climbed to the start of the 5th pitch
and hauled kit to there.  Notice the belayer in black... then the leader in orange?  Yep, black sucks!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3) Near the bottom of the route, another Team Extreme team, climbed the direct start and the leader is seen
here with the bags of the team above being hauled past him.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lost in America: Jean and Jonas are making about as much progress as could be expected in this heat. 
4) Jean and Jonas packing the kit for the days climbing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5) Jean took a little plunge of about 15 or so feet at the “Nose” just above her. She continued without difficulty.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tangerine Trip: Mike and Dan are a ways up and pressed ahead today.
6) Breaking the bivy, as the sun comes on, to get ready for the days climbing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7) Leading off the belay on the Trip’s 8th pitch. The pitch goes up and right over that big flake, to some easier
climbing above.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NA Wall: John and Matt’s resolve didn’t make it through the night, and they were off the route by mid morning.
 
New Dawn to Tribal: Citing brutal, debilitating heat, Max and Mike bailed from LLL this morning and looked pretty worked when they hit the Bridge for cold drinks and a sympathetic ear.
 
Nose: Surprisingly the route has two teams low on it. One spent the night, after dragging onto Dolt late in the evening, last night. They continued today and were at ECT as I left. It looked brutal up there with high temperatures and little wind.
8) Greg, Taylor, and Glenn climbing above Dolt Tower this afternoon… I wouldn’t have traded places with them for anything!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9) Lower down, a very courageous team of two, battled up the Stoveleg Crack in blinding heat.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
10) I was thinking, as I too was sweltering at the Bridge, about my winter cruise to the Western Caribbean, aboard the Royal Caribbean, Navigator of the Seas. Here is a shot, in late January, of the sweet beach I visited, on the North Shore of Jamaica…Priceless!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In other news: Not much other news to tell you about. Everyone is pretty much on hold, except those with the conditioning and courage to climb in withering heat. If you are going up, take 1.5 or 2 gallons of water, per person, per day. A cooling trend is on the way early next week. We did have some, late in the day clouds, drift in from the high country this afternoon, offering some relief.
So that’s the way it is, for this Saturday, the 8th of June, 2013.
If you haven’t, take a look at yesterday’s front page of the San Francisco Chronicle. There is a big article about the Ask a Climber Program featuring Ken Yager, Erik Sloan, and me. Nicely written too, with a solid mention of our best girl, Kate Robertson!
Later, Tom
#1Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 07:34.

Scott Jett/ Adam Sheppard on Lurking Fear

Some of us Fresnans are rooting for these guys, lifelong dream for them. They have a lot of MetalMark fans rooting for their success, esp. in this heat. Think they are up there as of Saturday.

#2Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 06/09/2013 - 03:25.

Go Trippers

More good vibes for the Trip boys. If Jean was the one I saw through Tom's lens two days ago (wearing turquoise), she jams. If she isn't, she still jams.
Cait