ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/16/10

By Tom Evans

Yo…cooler today, mid 70’s, here in Yosemite Valley. As of yet, that has not brought out the masses to climb the Big Stone. I am getting pretty sick of only having a few parties to photograph on the Cap. And you are getting sick of seeing the same locations too. So …. once again it is time for you boys and girls to man-up and get your butts on the rock!

Most of the usual suspects have now arrived in the Valley but seem to have gone craggin instead of wallin…. Totally unacceptable Pukes!! Totally unacceptable… hell you can do that stuff at home. So pack up your haul bags, drag your sorry butts up to the base, and get on the wall… or you will have to answer in person to me… and  you don’t want to go there!!

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

Zodiac: After taking it on the chin yesterday, the Steve Wampler show was back on track today. Steve had a good nights sleep last night for the first time on the wall. He awoke refreshed and was psyched about all the coverage of the climb on the internet and on TV. The climbing plan was revised (they must have read the ElCap Report last night!) and it was decided to have a light day today and extend the climb for another day. It seemed to pay off as Steve required about half the time today to cover the same distance he went yesterday. It was much cooler up there and things are finally going their way! Top out tomorrow in late afternoon and Eight Marines have volunteered to carry him out to the road, from the top of the climb.   Peanut Ledge bivy tonight!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

 

Steve jugging to Peanut Ledge as Dane Henry videos every move from the portaledge.

　

The Trip: Next door to Zodiac the 3 Danes are moving up the rock with determination, if not speed. They are in the center of the route now and in the afternoon Jakob Barfod took over the leading that had previously been the domain of Mads Granlien. A couple more days for this crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

　

Jakob leading out, high on the Trip.

　

Mescalito: Matt Thomsen climbed from the Bow and reached the top around 1pm today. He climbed well and pretty fast… hauling was easy as he is most likely out of food and water by now. Matt hadn’t climbed any walls in a year so this solo was a good one for him. We await his arrival at the Bridge…. Let the Basking begin!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Matt lowering the freight off the Bow.

　

　

The Nose: A couple of Aussies I talked to a couple of days ago, emerged from the clutter around Sickle ledge and blasted into the lead in the Legs. They are Bret and Carl and were moving much faster than the neophyte, mamby pambies who were flailing along behind, miles from Dolt. They made rapid progress and were at ElCap Tower by early afternoon. I think they were going to fix to the top of the boot and retire to the Tower for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

　

Aussies climbing above Dolt Tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

　

Aussies climbing into ElCap Tower, early in the afternoon.

　

There is a team not far behind them and they are definitely not mamby pambies. They topped Dolt around noon and were on the way to ECT when I left a bit after 3 today. They may be North Carolina boys, I hear. Below them a slow team, and what appeared to be a mixed team, making a training run to Dolt, got tangled up a couple pitches below that Tower as the afternoon wore on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

　

Slow climbing, bailing, and clusterfucks like this one, were the rule in the afternoon, low in the Legs.

　

　

　

Salathe: The five man French team must have fixed to the Roof yesterday and gone down to the Block to bivy last evening. Today I picked them up as they went over the Roof and climbed the Headwall to Long Ledge this morning. They seemed to have it dialed pretty well and probably climbed off late in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

　

　

 

French climbers on the Headwall of the Salathe Wall Route.

　

 

Bail of the Day, Nose Route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Blast from the Past:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

　

　

　

Tom Evans and Bob Williams at the base of the North Face of Quarter Dome in May of 1969.

　

　

In other news: It was very quiet at the Bridge today with few climbers and a low number of Tourons in evidence. The only disruption was Piton Pete lumbering by with 20 Sherpa porters, carrying his and JP’s kit to the start of the Albatross. It was kind of nice to have a relaxing day at the Bridge, in cool conditions.

So that’s the way it is, on ElCap, for this Thursday, the 16^th day of September, 2010.

Signing off for now… your eye on the sky… Ansel Evans