ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/22/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The good weather continues to rule the Valley.  The Captain, however, is not being used to the maximum, or anything even close.  The King is still essentially empty and awaits the return of the multitudes.  I know the Facelift is more important than climbing the Cap at the moment, so you won’t get too many complaints from me.  Keep picking up that trash!  The Captain will be there next week, you can count on it.
 

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

Zodiac:  Ben and Danny didn’t bail when the T-storm hit yesterday but continued their push to the top.  They came by the bridge looking pretty dirty but a quick swim in the river seemed to freshen their look, if not odor!
Today a party was seen climbing on the first pitch but didn’t look to confident and left a rope part way up the pitch.

Continental Drift:  The Show keeps moving up.  I saw Pete finish the long lead he started yesterday.  Looked like typical “black rock” climbing in NA.  Broken blocks with discontinuous cracks.  Didn’t look like much fun to me but Pete is persistent if not fast.

1)  Pete, in the shit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PO Wall:  Adam, Bill, and Jordan should be topping out this evening.  I spotted them a pitch from the top around 3pm.

New Dawn:  Brant and Steve bivied just short of ECT last night and were moving along well today.  They were finishing the traverse pitch to the long corners leading to Wino Tower, as I left.
2)  Traverse pitch, New Dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  The Nose was pretty empty with the exception on a team really low in the Legs and two parties high above.  The three well dressed men from yesterday, are a French team, we could have guessed that one!  They climbed from ECT to the Great Roof while I was shooting.  Camp 5 for them tonight.
3)  Fashionably dressed French leader on the Boot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  French team on the Boot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Broken shoe lace on the Lynn Hill Traverse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Higher up yet the three man team from the last several days were last seen starting the last pitch in mid afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shield:  The two Russians stuck it out during the brief rain yesterday and continued up today.  They are without a ledge and rumor has it that they spent the night on their haul bags.  Ouch!  Anyway they were on the move when I arrived and will most likely push on to Chickenhead no matter the hour.
7)  First light on the Shield.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Cleaning and hauling on the Groove pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Passing the Canoe on the Shield Headwall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salathe:  I did catch a glimpse of a team high on the route, perhaps the guys from yesterday who bivied on the Block most likely.
Lower down a two man team climbed undetected to the Monster, where I finally spotted them.
10)  Up close and personal with the Monster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other news:  My buddy, Regan Reganowicz, arrived this morning and we had some breakfast in the Café.  He is going to be here for a month and hauled kit to Mescalito this afternoon for a solo climb.  There were lots of climbers out and about around the Bridge, some taking a break from Facelifting and others just to hang out.  It was a nice time to catch up on some folks from Supertopo too.  The Facelift evening programs last night were really great and were will attended.

So that’s the way it is, for this Thursday, the 22nd day of September, 2011.
Later Dude
Capt. Tom