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GoMZ
Trad climber
Eastern Sierra
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 12, 2007 - 06:46pm PT
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I've been meaning to post up this TR for some time now just been too busy. (work,school, etc...) Any way here goes.
I tried to keep my focus on my last final exam knowing the next day I would be humping loads to the base of the Captain. I got through the final came home and packed my bags.
5/17/07 I arive to El Cap meadow to the sound of chopper blades in the meadow. This is not incredibly inspiring. Almost immediatly I recognize Tom Evans and go over to find out the scoop. "They just pulled someone off the nose he fell 80 feet broke his leg you can see the blood on the ledge". My confidence is soaring like an Elephant now. I sit and chat with Tom for a minute he asks me what route, "this will be my 3rd El Cap rout and my partners 2nd we are going for the nose", "you and everyone else, good luck".
Well the only possitive from the rescue is it causes mass exodus from about ten parties above. Including the British party on P6 who had 2 haulbags 2 ledges and who knows whatelse with them.
The plan is for me to shlep all the goods to the base, camp out there with my shotgun and procure our spot in line. I get all the goods to the bottom of Pine Line and fix a line to the first pitch. I haul our bag halfway up Pine Line and try to sleep anticipating my partner Neils arrival the next morning.
The next morning I wake up and haul the bags to the start of the route. Shortly after I'm finished Neil arrives. We begin to rack up for the first pitch when a party arrives sans haulbag we gladly let them go ahead.
OUr plan is to climb and haul the first 4 to sickle, fix one pitch past sickle, bivy on sickle.
Me on P1
P2
edit: sorry bout the sideways pic use your imagination
All goes according to plan and we settle in for the night.
Sickle ledge is not a stellar bivy I had my legs in slings to attempt to keep me from sliding off. It is good for an early start however.
We are about to start jugging our line to the top of 6 when we hear voices and see another non haulbag totin party. they are quickly up to sickle and ask to pass via jugging our lines we oblige (poor style on their part ti jug IMO but whatever)
As soon as they arrive at the top of 6 and start leading I jug up and haul the bag. I am watching as their leader just keeps going linking deep into the stovelegs. The whole time wondering if I am going to learn some new lowerout trick I have not yet seen. The leader gets to the end of the rope and fixes the line. His partner looks frazzled, at this point I realize he was not prepared for this. I ask him what his plan is and he shrugs "Iguess I cut loose" in a French accent. I give him a cordelette to hold onto and he's off. F%$&ing knarly I can't believe he wasn't hurt, one of the stupidest things I've ever witnessed. He was unhurt and they finished the route. If my partner did this to me I would be so pissed.
Any way we Pendi into the stovelegs and try to get into a groove El Cap tower is the goal.
(photo Tom Evans)
I lead to Dolt tower and gladly hand over the reigns to Neil to take us home for the night.
Neil leading to ECT
He gets to ECT without any major difficulties, I however wrestle cuss and have to fight with a number 1 camalot that didn't want to go to ECT with me. !/2 hour later I got it! I arrive pretty dam tired to ECT at dusk.
What a great bivy. We wake up at 4:30 and Neil scuries up Texas flake pitch.
Here I am on ECT
and here I am at the top of texas flake
It is my lead next the boot goes easily
King Swing time!!
Neil gets This classic pitch.
It takes a while for him to perfect his technique on his first ever pendulum but he sends nicely
(Photo Tom Evans)
Here he is peeking around the corner After King Swing
I love this photo.
We are now entering the gray bands and camp5 is the goal.
Photo Tom Evans
photo Tom Evans
We make camp 4 in good style and it's my turn on the Great roof.
This pitch is so cool!!
I get into the climbing and am testing my camhooking skills running it out a little when pop!! I take 30 footer. Neils concern is immediatly quelled when I bust out laughing. Ifell on C1 hahahahahha.
Right afer this picture I cam hooked about 4 in a fow then pop!!
Neil cleaning the great roof
We tried this haulbag trick where you fifi the bag to the anchor lead a few then haul. It would have been great but the rope got stuck and I didn't want mess with it much fir fear of puting slack into the systen and the bag cutting loose we lost at least an hour and a whole lot of energy due to this mini epic.
Somewhere along the way on the pancake flake pitch we hit a time warp. Maybe it was the fall maybe it was the dark but I was so slow on this easy pitch.
It is well into the night when I finish and am forced to hand the next one to Neil. He grovels up this awkward pitch and we arrive at camp 5 at 3:30am.
We start climbing at 6am determined to top out that day. Our plan, no more blocks, swap leads.
I lead to the glowering spot and am so psyched to get to this awesome ledge. Neils up next and I belay while halfway napping. As Neil ends this next pitch I down about 30 espresso beans and am more fired up than I've been in days.
here I am Jugging up to camp6
My turn next on the Changing Corners.
neil jugging changing corners
The next pitch is super steep and splitter
Neil leading
Me attempting to be comfy at he belay
looking down from the belay yeow!!
We are really clicking on the last day and manage to finish before dark. The bivy on the top was nice the next day we wake up and assess the clusterfvck.
The obligatory summit shot
The descent goes without incident, and Neil has to leave pretty much immediatly.
This is the view, I feel proud. I go over to speak with Tom Evans and see if he got some pics, "I got a ton of you guys you were the only ones on the damn thing!". Sweet. Thank you Tom Evans your pictures are awesome, a lifetimes worth of memories.
I sit in the meadow and reflect for a while when the round 2 bell rings. My friend Eric walks up and we immediatly set our action plan for the Muir into motion. The plan, rest for 2 days and send.
The next day we rent a raft and drift away the day
Note the presence of brews.
Goofing off in the "rapids of the Merced"
We spend the next day gearing up and getting ready for the Muir..
To be continued.................................
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GDavis
Trad climber
SoCal
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Oct 12, 2007 - 07:02pm PT
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Freaking awesome!
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Darren D.
Social climber
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Oct 12, 2007 - 07:20pm PT
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Very nice photos. One day it will be mine...oh yes..it will be mine. Glad to see you are wearing your life vest in the mighty Merced :) You can never be too safe.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Oct 12, 2007 - 07:36pm PT
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Nice on the climb shots!!!
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Oct 12, 2007 - 07:39pm PT
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Great TR and pics. Very nice how you interspersed Tom's pics with yours.
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JAK
climber
The Souf
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Oct 12, 2007 - 07:58pm PT
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That picture of Neil peeking around the corner after King Swing brings absolute joy to my life. Saved to hard drive. Well done!
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Oct 12, 2007 - 08:01pm PT
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What a great TR! I am grateful for the vicarious living. Thanks so much. Can't wait for round 2.
Michael
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Oct 12, 2007 - 08:04pm PT
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2 thumbs up!
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Echo
Trad climber
San Diego, CA.
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Oct 12, 2007 - 08:07pm PT
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Rad post dude! Really look forward to seeing the rest of it!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Oct 12, 2007 - 08:08pm PT
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WHAT! You didn't free the whole thing??!!
;-)
Thanks for the TR!
Peace
karl
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GoMZ
Trad climber
Eastern Sierra
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2007 - 10:30pm PT
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Thanks for the responses.
Karl, no we didn't free much of the route at all. Next time I will try to free more. It is amazing to think about the dedication it would take to free a route like this..... mind boggling.
Tom, thanks for the compliment on our pics. Wouldn't have been the same without your pics though!
Peace,
Steve
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GoMZ
Trad climber
Eastern Sierra
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 12, 2007 - 10:45pm PT
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No they weren't all nuts but a pretty small nut caught me #3 HB I think. But yes mostly really bomber cams.:-)
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Oct 13, 2007 - 12:34pm PT
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Niicce!
Z
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gomer-pyle
Big Wall climber
I am everywhere
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sweet bump...
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SammyLee2
Trad climber
Memphis, TN
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goMz, Nice TR and pics and climb. Damn nice. Me and Callie and Karl met you while craging at the base of El. Must have been like a few months after this climb. You never sprayed about, "I've been to the top of this X times." Never even mentioned it. Even while I flailed around on easy cracks near the ground. Class act.
Since I'll likely never be able to do these routes it's nice to get the feeling of it from someone else. Thanks. (Maybe I can talk Karl into taking me up Washington Column.)
SammyLee
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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Beautiful pictures man, well done!
Thanks for sharing your climb with us.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Absolutely badass!!!!
really unique pics too!
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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GoMZ - Kick Azz!!!! Love the you guys photos and Tom's far away close ups. This is inspiring!!!
It's almost like I was there, but 'm sure I'm way less tired then you two were at the end.
Thank you for this TR
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pimp daddy wayne
climber
The Bat Caves
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SICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Great TR and photos GoMZ!
Mr Evans, your shots were great too!
What size of lens were you using?
SW
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