ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/19/15

By Tom Evans

Yo…Sweet weather this weekend is bringing out wall climbers from under their rocks!  Lots of good climbing on the Big Stone today.  You need to be here!

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

Zodiac:  There are presently 4 teams on the route but one will climb off late today.

1)  The highest team, the mixed one, bivied at the belay below Peanut ledge and climbed to that ledge this afternoon.  They will most likely climb off this evening.  Here the woman in the party is on Peanut after hauling kit to there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Lower down, the two Italians bivied in the center of the Circle and one of them is seen climbing the MOZ pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Lower down, Stowe and Gerberding, with Scott’s kids in tow, climbed the entire White Circle pitches today.  Here the kids, Whitney and Lundy, are jugging up to the center of the circle as daddy tends the belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Scott got the Nipple pitch and took a plunge as he neared the Nipple itself.  One of his girls held his fall! He was quickly back on the route and finished the pitch without incident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new team was seen on the first pitch this afternoon.

5)  ElNino saw the return of the two European climbers today.  Who are those guys??

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NA Wall:  Two teams grace this historic route.

6)  Libby is seen here leading the long traverse pitch above the Cyclops Eye.  She and Chantel bivied at two pitches below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Here Chantel is cleaning the pitch Libby just lead.  They finished the two bivy route by 6pm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Lower down, a new team of, Wade, Andrew, and Marc appeared and were last seen on the 5^th pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  The Mescalito team reached the Bismarck Ledge this afternoon.  Here the leader is seen leading the so called “figure 4” pitch leading to the ramp up to the Bismarck Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Nose saw several teams scattered along the buttress today.

10)  This is the “Dark Man” team starting the last pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Lower down, another dark team, did the King Swing, with a spectacular lunge at the end, and promptly bailed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A team climbed from Camp 4 this morning, and were heading above Camp 5, when I departed.

Below them there appeared to be three teams strung out in the Stovelegs, none too swift.

12)  3D:  I spotted Anita and Mike at the start of the so called “Crossroads” this morning.  It turns out that their bail was but a figment of my imagination, a couple of days ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  The speedy guys, The Cutler brothers, I mentioned yesterday, were spotted climbing the Headwall this morning.  Nice!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  Early this afternoon, four of our finest "ElCap liebacker's, sprang into action, when a van got too far off the pavement and bottomed out.  After some inventive solutions, the van made it back on the road to continue its journed.  Our heroes returned to meadow to finish out their restful afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Saturday, the 19^th day of September, 2015.

Capt. Tom… heading for the sack!