ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/25/10

By Tom Evans

Yo… Kinda warm here today… and no breeze to speak of. Steve Schneider was over on the west side fixing on Squeeze Play and said they could only do one pitch as the heat was too intense to continue. Hotter tomorrow and Monday they say. The big stone is getting some traffic but some climbers are postponing for a couple of days in light of the weather. So if you are coming up to climb you might want to give it a few days yet. My favorite tree, I know you really want to hear about this, has just a few leaves starting to get a little color but it looks like the turning is going to be a couple of weeks away.

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

Eagles Way: A new team was over there but bailed.

Plastic Surgery Disaster: Ken Bokelund is on this seldom done route. He did the “Trust your mechanic” pitch today and it sure looked hot over there. He took off his shirt in the late afternoon to get some cooling. Maureen, his wife, promised me he would get rid of the lousy shirt he wore the last time he climbed EC and low and behold there it was again! Maureen, control your man! It will only get hotter up there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenny B. looking pretty warm over there in the afternoon on PSD.

　

Zodiac: A team of two, Adrian and Chad, who fixed a few days ago, were on the route today and climbed to the end of the BT pitch as I was leaving around 4pm.

Lost in America: Well.... the Korean team started out well enough, but they switched to the Trip at the Mandatory Free Pitch because two of the team were getting sick from the heat, and the leader figured they could make better time on that route in these conditions.   A Cheater Stick suddenly appeared in the leaders hand, which caused much heckling from the Bridge Crew. They kept going on the Trip and didn’t look back.  Hopefully they will be able to continue and not have to come down on this very steep route.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Korean team cleaning and jugging early in the morning on Lost in America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STICK OF THE DAY!!!  Making the transition to the Trip from LA.

　

Trip: Gareth, Duncan, and Sara's ascent is going along without much trouble and they made the bolt ladders late in the day.

Lower down a solo fixed the direct start and retired.

　

Mescalito: It’s official now … the two guys from Denmark bailed after being way too slow to do the route in a reasonable time.

A solo South African, Andrew Porter, has climbed a couple and is getting ready to blast soon.  I talked to the lad today and he doesn't have any ElCap experience, so this one should be interesting!   He said he was taking 8 days worth of water... I told him to take 10 days worth and how to get in touch with YOSAR if he ran out.

Nose: The Nose continues to get the lions share of the climbing teams. Several teams from yesterday were seen around the Grey Bands later in the afternoon. A couple teams topped out late in the day and a team of three was heading to Dolt but were a ways away by the time I left.

　

　

　

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Climbing into Camp 5 late in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting the last pitch of the Nose... Oh happy day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triple Direct climbers finishing the traverse to Camp 4 late in the afternoon.

 

Albatross: Pete pushed into a higher gear today and climbed three pitches to the Canoe! Three pitches… we were astounded!   Well... maybe it was two pitches......

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete and the Show way up in big wall country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pete, JP, and the Show .... meet the Canoe!  Earlier in the day a squad car pulled up with lights flashing.  The officer got out and said there was a report of climbers in distress waving a flag.   Of course it was Pete with his ledge flagged and blowing around in the wind.   I told the officer that climbers don't wave flags or use signal mirrors when in trouble.   The things that Tourons come up with!!

　

In other news: It was a crazy day here at the Bridge. It started like it was going to be a relaxed day but hordes of Tourons came by in endless waves. Then throngs of climbers came by and they all stayed for the rest of the day!  It was crazy but fun!  Hell even Steve Gerberding showed up!  It was a fun time in the cool shade of the big pines!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dave, Matthew, and Logan basking in the Glory of their one bivy ascent of the Trip.                                                                         Tom and Stevie G. and his damn gray shirt, at the Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The scene at the Bridge.

So that’s the way it is for this Saturday, the 25^th day of September, 2010.

I’m out of here….

Tom the Bomb…