ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/25 and 9/26/2015

By Tom Evans

Yo… It is still on the warm side of the scale, here in the Ditch.  Monday is supposed to see the start of 70 degree days for some time ahead.  The Facelift is winding down and that will free up more climbers to head up the Captain.  Now, the same routes are still in progress, with all the parties moving smoothly up the rock.  Sorry to have missed yesterday but I was not feeling well and headed to the tent at 7:30pm to try to catch up on some sleep.  I am better today so this is a two in one report.

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

1A)  Waterfall route:  Yesterday, I spotted Brandon Adams and his partner, Matt Perkins, high above the rock scars, from the fall that wiped out the route in 2010.  The route is now reestablished.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1B)  Today, the team climbed up the thin ramps to the end of the route.  Beautiful rock!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Zodiac:  We saw a team, consisting of Karsten Duncan and Michael Cane, cruising up the route this morning, on an obvious ZIAD (Zodiac in a Day).  They were motoring along just fine and I got this shot around 2pm as they entered the White Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Over on the PO Regan and Magda climbed past the Central Latitudes yesterday and today were on the Bearing Straits when I got this shot from far out west.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  The Italian/Swiss team is making good time on Mescalito.  Yesterday they finished the long, right leaning corner up to the start of the Molar Traverse, which they are finishing off this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nose:  Yesterday the crews on the route moved up the route, some topping out.

5)  A NIAD team flashed up the route and were on the Great Roof when I left in the afternoon.  Here the leader, who reminds me of a certain Nose obsessior, dusted off the Boot Flake in great style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  The same leader smoothed the KS, so it didn’t really matter if he went low or high, as the result would have been the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Higher on the Nose, a team from yesterday is seen here on the infamous pitch into Camp 5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  A miscommunication caused the parents to hike to the top, only to get a call from the lads that they had topped out early… in fact they hadn’t and the parents hiked down after only missing the climbers by an hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3D:  Over on the 3D, a team went from Gray Ledges over to the GR and perhaps on to Camp 5 for the night.

9)  The Salathe saw several teams over the past two days.  This climber was in a team of three and is just finishing up the chimney above Hollow Flake Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Higher up the team of three is spotted getting ready to climb up to the Ear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Nice clouds passed from south to north all day above the ECM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So that’s the way it is, for this Saturday, the 26^th day of September, 2015.

Later, Capt. Tom