ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/21/12
By Tom Evans

Yo… Getting cooler by the day here in the Glory Hole.  Nice action today and as an added bonus the air was super clear… that’s why I love the Fall and not the Spring.  In Spring the air is full of pollen, moisture, particulates, and heat waves… not to mention the horrible angle of the sun.  Today was really sweet!  I wish you could see the high rez shots of the report shots today.  They are 18mgs but compressed to around 400kb.  Too bad for you and for me as today’s shots are super crisp and pop out on the screen.  Those of you who climbed today and get the shots are lucky climbers!

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

Tangerine Trip:  Hey these three guys started slow but have caught their stride and are moving right along now.  They will bivy somewhere above the Slab on the 9th pitch.

1)  Morning on the Trip… the umbrella is a good idea but Black???  Sean Tucker leading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mescalito:  This three man team of Bret, Josh, and Cameron are hitting it right and really moving up with speed and efficiency.  Bismarck tonight and off tomorrow I will bet!

2)  Hauling kit, shot from miles out west!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ND to Genesis:  Hey this crew is getting it done much better than recent ascents Pete has been involved with.  They climbed to ECT last evening and spent today hauling kit up the 400ft of so that they have spread out in the corner.  Hard to see them from the Bridge but they will be visible from now on and it should produce some great shots.  Jon is sharing the leads with Pete so things go much faster… hell they may even break the 10day mark!!

3)  Jon Fox setting up to haul kit higher in late afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  The team of three women made ECT yesterday and were up and at it early today.  They lost some time as it appeared that Sara didn’t have very good beta for the King Swing and ran miles and miles before getting it figured out.  Fortunately for them there was a Jardine Traverse team on Eagle who tossed her a line to finish the pitch.

 
4)  “Hey Bro… can you spare me a line!”  He did too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)   The women’s team then moved across the traverse and fell in line.  Riley Sweeny lowering off the Boot.  Another team was right behind them and it stayed bunched for most of the rest of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pitch higher the Jardine Traverse team tried to put some distance between themselves and the women but couldn’t get it done.

6)  Pitch to the start of the Grey Bands Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mixed team of Colleen Weeks and Luke Holloway was in the front of the entire chain and I don’t recall them in that position yesterday…  they came over from the 3D traverse.  Colleen lead very well and proved herself  to be a strong climber.

7)  Mixed team past the Great Roof pitch, Colleen leading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 8)  Later in the afternoon I was able to get this unusual shot from way out west.  The women’s team and the other men’s teams were crossing the traverse and way off to the east the Mescalito team is seen hauling bags.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)   Cosmos:  I finally got out to see what was up with Skiy Detray and Amanda Fenn.  Sorry not to have been able to get out there these past two days.  They were spotted around the 8th pitch on what looked to be a pretty warm position.  Unfortunately, I was not out there very long.. as I leave around three so I can get my images processed and the report done by 7pm .. so I only have the one shot of them and they were at the belay.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Freerider:  I did get a nice shot of local hero, James Lucas, tirelessly working some fixed lines on a mini-traction, as he jugged out this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  BONUS SHOT.  I was about to enter the office I write the report from, in Tool Town, when I noticed a climber doing the Tyrolean Traverse off the LA Spire.. Here he is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  Great weather in the forecast…70’s for the foreseeable future.. Doesn’t get any better than that!!  Kind of quiet at the Bridge today, which was a nice change of pace.  Several teams from the NIAD’s yesterday stopped by to get their shots and the Touron’s were not seen in force.  
There may be another run for the Women’s Nose record on Sunday… but maybe Monday… Chantel and Mayan haven’t told me the updated plan yet.

So that’s the way it is, for this Friday, the 21st day of September, 2012.
If you are not here…you screwed up!
Later, Tom