ElCap Reports

ElCap Report 6/9/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Fabulous weather is upon us!  The Captain is getting the attention it has been missing for a month or more.  The environs around the Nose are jammed at the moment.  Other routes are getting attention too.
So break out your shorts, tank tops, and sunglasses and come up on the Cap for the adventure of a lifetime!

ElCap Report 6/8/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Yep, it did rain quite hard last night.  Several teams took that as an excuse to bail from their climbs… weather Pukes!  The day dawned clear and bright and continued to be an excellent climbing day with moderate temps and full sun.  The Nose was once again the center of attention with lots of action.  Lurking Fear is also popular in spite of the hoof required to get over there.  My Korean friends, the Team Extreme Riders, arrived at the Bridge today after the long trip from home.  IC Kang introduced me to the new and old members of the team of 5 who will soon be climbing on the Cap.  Great climbing days lie ahead and I will be your man at the center of the epicenter of American big wall climbing.  So settle in and get your ducks in a row because the season is on and you can expect to read about it all!  

ElCap Report 6/7/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Much nicer day today and the number of teams on the wall reflected the conditions.  We are hoping for a number of these days ahead.  In a strange twist of fate... it is raining here at the lodge this evening.  I am kind of pressed for time this evening so I need to get on with the Report… so…

ElCap Report 6/6/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Well, not so fast on the good weather!  Last night it poured rain until just after dawn.  The sky was back to being the thick slate color we have seen far too often this Spring.  I went down to the Bridge this morning to see what I could see and the Cap was in full cloud.  The clouds started breaking up around noon and now we have partly cloudy conditions.  The Captain is empty, except for the Last Man on ElCap.  Neil Chelton is up there at his bivy just below the White Circle.  He fixed the next pitch later in the day yesterday.  He was not climbing when I left the Bridge at around 11am.  Erik Sloan has the Ask a Climber program today so I am taking the afternoon off to do other things.  The action should be starting up tomorrow as the weather puzzle palace has predicted nice conditions.  We will see.

ElCap Report 6/5/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The Valley was socked in all day yesterday and it rained all night.  Pretty grim stuff, but just before dawn the rain stopped and the solid cloud deck broke up.  By Breakfast the sun was out and great billowing clouds marched across the sky.  The day was beautiful, with enough clouds to shade the Cap from time to time, so I could get some detailed shots.  It looks like the weather system broke up a day early and climbers are psyched to get at it again.  Not a lot of action today but enough to be interesting.
 

ElCap Report 6/4/11
By Tom Evans

Yo..  It started around 9am when I was walking from the Café to my van.  A slow, incessant drizzle that was to build to a downpour as the day progressed.  By the time I got down to ElCap the clouds were closing in and the climbers left on the face were obscured from view most of the time.  By the time I departed the bridge, around 2pm, it was a steady rain that continues as I write these line.  The sky is a smooth overcast of gray and fortunately the wind is quite low.  There are several climbers still on the wall.  So get a hot chocolate, settle down by the fire into your most comfortable chair, put that comforter on those cold legs and come along with me to the grandest spectacle in all of Yosemite climbing.  ElCap in storm.
 

ElCap Report 6/3/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… The day started out nice but quickly degenerated into a cloudy, cold one.  That didn’t deter the multitudes from having a go at the King.  Also the SE Face continues to be busy in the face of approaching storms.  The season is dragging on with most of the climbing being at Jailhouse Rock about and hour and a half west of here.  Actually the conditions were perfect for big wall photography and I got a lot of shots.

ElCap Report 6/2/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Ah if only the weather would stay like it was today the season would be a good one.  Lots of action on the upper east side of the rock.  The bad news is that there are 3 teams on Zodiac, so you are going to have to bear with me.  Zodiac is full because it is weather protected and no one has much wall practice yet, due to the weather.

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

ElCap Report 6/1/11
By Tom Evans

Yo… Aaaahhhhhhhh  the weather, the weather, the weather!!  Harsh conditions on the Captain today with wind, clouds, and rain/hail.  The Bridge was cold and dank today.  No climbers were in evidence… but there was a small crop of Tourons who were quite nice and very interested in what was going on.  I stayed until the bitter end as the sky opened up big, around 2pm.  Not much to report but here is what I have….
 

ElCap Report 5/31/11
By Tom Evans

Yo.. Another nice day here in the Valley.  Seems as though people are so gun shy that they are sticking to mostly one route on the Captain at the moment.
The SE Face is protected from the weather, for the most part, and the weather has been the problem all Spring.  So you are going to get a big dose of Zodiac today.  So suck it up Cupcakes!  Forget about anything else, because you are now with me at the Bridge where almost all the action can be seen.