ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 9/29/2016

By Tom Evans

Yo..Great weather is bringing out great numbers of climbers.  Lots of action… but ironically, not on the Nose which is languishing in disuse at the moment.  Salathe/Freerider is the King for the week and maybe longer.  Sunday is going to be interesting as Hans Florine has a project going that will be a real crowd pleaser.  So stay tuned for all the latest happenings on the Cap.

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

1)  Shortest Straw: A team of three, including Brandon Adams, Wayne Willoughby, and Kris Wickstrom set out this morning to push the route.  Here Yellow Man, Kris, climbs the 6^th pitch which ends very close to Zodiac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2)  Here the Straw team has passed by the Zodiac team of Libby and Paul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3)  Here the whole team is in the White Circle with Brandon pounding on some iron, Kris at the belay, Wayne jugging up, and Libby lurking on the upper right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4)  Here Libby leads through the Jaws on the Center of the White Circle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5)  Wayne jugs out in big air next to the classic 9 O’clock roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6)  Over on the trip the team of two is getting it done well enough.  Here they are in a shot from out west this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7)  Lower down, solo climber Nick, has shown up on the route and is looking like he knows what he is doing.  Here he is on the best pitch of the route, the classic 5^th pitch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)  Tempest:  Big Andy Kirkpatrick, fixed two over the last couple of days and was out on the lead for a short time today. Later he went down to his luxury suite, at the Majestic, for the duration of the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9)  Sean Warren continues to kill it on Native Son.  He dusted off the Golden Finger of Fate this morning and was soon romping up the bolt ladders.  Here he is finishing the Golden Finger of Fate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10)  Over on Heartland I watched John Rigg polish off a difficult pitch this morning.  Here he is at the belay later in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11)  Eli and Ido are continuing to cruise up the PO and this shot has them at the Aleutian Chain this afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12)  Triple Direct:  I spotted this three man team yesterday at the Silver Fish corner.  Today I picked them up crossing the traverse and later, in this shot, climbing to Camp 4 this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13)  Here they are hauling to the start of the Great Roof.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14)  The slow team with the colorful kit, continued upward today as I got this shot of them on the long corner leading to Eagle Ledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15)   I spotted this well dressed South African team hauling kit up the slabs today.  Their third member is up out of view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16)  The two teams on the Shield were seen heading above Chickenhead Ledge this morning.  Maybe off today!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17)  So many teams were on the Salathe/Freerider it was impossible to keep track of them.  This team went over the headwall this afternoon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Excalibur Crew was not visible to my lens today but I did see there lines and they are moving well.

 

In other news:  I will be working for most of the day tomorrow so there may not be a report or if there is one it will be pretty thin.

So that’s the way it is, for this Thursday, the 29^th day of September, 2016.

Capt. Tom… needing some sleep!