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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 1, 2008 - 11:50pm PT
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ElCap Report 10/01/08
By Tom Evans
Yo.. Nice day here with a strong west wind blowing up the valley. The climbers on the wall looked pretty warm but I hear that a change in the weather is in the wind. Lots of parties on the wall today. Without further adieu here is today’s ElCap Report brought to you by the two teams who bailed from Dolt Tower today. So gag the rest of the family, put the pets in the basement, settle in with a Cobra, and read the lastest dope headed your way from ECP’s….
Zodiac: The team of 2 climbed from the top of 4 into the Great White Circle late in the afternoon. They make short work of the Black Tower.
Lower Down another team climbed to the top of 3 fixing a line.
Lower down a couple of teams were seen getting a number in the line at the start of the route.
Climbing into the White Circle on Zodiac.
Kaos: Kate lead a nice lead onto and upward on the ZM part of the route. They have both done that route before so the climbing should move right along from now on.
Kate leading on the ZM section of Kaos
Trip: The solo is climbing very well and has a sporty yellow shirt. He was finished with the 8th pitch when I departed.
Ammon, Timmy and Sean O’Neill are going onto this route tomorrow. Sean has climbed the Cap 3 times before with Timmy and various other partners. He is a paraplegic who thus does thousands of pull-ups to get up the routes.
Solo climber finishing the 7th pitch on the Trip
NA Wall: I picked up a team of two on the 6th pitch today and they were quickly headed up the free climbing pitches toward Big Sur ledge late in the day.
Mescalito: The two climbers who have been on the route for several days are now within striking distance of the top early tomorrow. Two Polish climbers, Pavil and Maciek are going onto the route tomorrow having fixed to Anchorage ledge.
Reticent: The solo, Davito with the fastest drill on the SE Face, climbed past the traverse pitch on WEML. He is moving right along.
Reticent Solo getting ready to lower the bags late in the day.
Nose: All the parties who started out in wall style today bailed from the route. I think two teams were on it for a NIAD and moved along smartly.
Higher up there were several teams who were high on the route and headed off today most likely. They were lead by Jay and Jeanette who were on the last pitch at 4:30 when I left the west side. A great attitude and an abundance of tenacity have gotten the job done for this delightful couple. Congratulations are in order.
NIAD team half way up the Nose.
NIAD Team turning the Great Roof
Regular wall team on Pancake Flake Nose Route
The Tower that makes Camp 5 gets ready for more climbers.
Climbers high on the final dihedral on the Nose Route
Jay and Jeanette finishing the Nose Route
Triple Direct: There seem to be a line of parties on the lower Muir part of this route. One is a team of four and there are two teams of two in the long pitches up to Grey Ledges. A team is paralleling those teams on Magic Mushroom.
Shield: I did see Narek Raganowicz (aka Regan) rapping to his bags on the start of the Half Dollar pitch. He has hauled his bags up the Free Blast!! No fun there!!
Salathe: I did see a team high on the route who turned the corner at the Salathe Roof and finished up on Free Rider.
Climber waiting at the belay on the last part of Free Rider.
In other news: Bad news yesterday as Yuji took a 60ft fall on Freestone when he improperly clipped his daisy at the belay, leaned back, and took the plunge. He trashed an ankle and will be out of commission for some time. So the record lowering attempts on the Nose are on hold. I am not in command of all the details at this time and what I have written is from word of mouth.
We had a lot of climbers through the Bridge area and I got a shot of just a few that are posted below. The Tourons showed up in great numbers and I spent a lot of time talking with them and showing them climbers.
Bridge Rats: Brian Cam Leo Erik Scott Nickie Tim
Several teams are getting ready to go onto the wall and I will find out what is going on tomorrow.
So that’s the way it is for this the 1st Day of October 2008.
Bye Bye ECP’s
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
Nunya, America
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Dude, no matter what is said now or ever,.....
You, my friend, are the King of the Bridge....
Great report, Tom......
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Regarding the accusations of drilling on Reticent, please see my post on yeaterdays report. I am wqatching the climber and he was on a pitch which is a rivit ladder with one reachy hook move. The hook blew on me, and I am short enough it would have taken two holes or rivits to reach the next rivit in the ladder. Dan and I decided that it would be better to leave a single drill to a tallerr climber, so we chose to stick clip the rivit. I am nearly sure the soloist was simply completing this move, as it should be. There was no other way than to drill or stick clip.
I was told of these posts accusing him and am signing on from the wall, and won't be online further. Just had to say something about it because it wouldn't be right to let folks accuse this guy when I see where he is and very likely know what's going on.
Hope you all are well.
-Kate.
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enjoimx
Big Wall climber
SLO Cal
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Great report and pics!
Crazy that Yuji fell so far...Thats intense.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Kate,
Thanks for clearing that up!
Scary on Yuji's fall - glad he wasn't hurt worse.
Thanks for more nice photos and the report, Tom.
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Hmmm...well, I hoped it was the one pitch. I jusy don't recall anything hard in that area other than some moves very close to lay lady ledge where the climb moves right from a seam and is veeeeery reachy into potato cip hooking. Grim but do-able. I hope the drill staysa way from the rock. Lovely reports, tom! I stay away from them when I'm up here generally. They're fun to look at afterward, tho.
Were having aa great time and glad to be on familiar turf woth zm. Thank you for keeping an eyball on us. Tom, my mom says hi "to that handsome man with the cameras.". :)
-Kate.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 2, 2008 - 12:28am PT
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Like I posted on yesterdays response... the guy was not on the pitch Kate speaks of... he was on the one below it. Plus, like I said... who knows why he was drilling... I sure don't and I suspect that he was doing just what he felt must be done. Drilling is always the last resort and we would prefere that teams take a stick and not drill on established routes if it isn't absolutely necessary. If they do that then I will poke a little fun about carrying a stick!! Catch 22 there!! You can't win!! That said we like to poke a little fun at drillers as it is obvious that we know nothing about the real situation. Accusations? We don't make accusations...he was drilling for sure! But we are not so serious as to make a real issue out of it, more just to poke a little fun. Unfortunately Pete was the subject of such a joke last season and several of our readers took it way too seriously. Wall climbers should know by now that climbs change and things fall off and the choice is best left up to those on the route.
Smile everyone... this is not the end of the world here!!
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Blakeb
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Yo tom, dont forget my boy matt, he fixed the first pitch of ZM today, but seemed to escape your watchful eye. He was intending to solo and picked up a partner today, so brian and him will be blasting in the morning is the word on that. If i knew how to properly type monkey calls i would.
Thanks for pointing out what was going on with the reticent soloist kate. Bridge rats were already plucking chickens and rolling barrells of tar out to the meadow in preparation for the drillers return! That could have gotten ugly!
Way to handle kaos, again showing everyone how sh#t gets done.
Blake
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Ha ha, blake, I think its more like were showing how to get it done with a lot of sh#t, not so much how to get sh#t done. And that guy on Reticent? Waaaaay too many pigs....whats he got, like three? Whatevah. Thanks again tom for the reports, all with a grain of salt and, well, whatever else it takes. See you soon...er, prolly in 4-5 days. :)
Btw, tom, I am going to keep that shot of climbing thru the broken rock on 5 forever. Best climbing I've ecer done, super great, and I'm grateful to have the pic to remember it by. :)
-Kate.
(If anyone wonders why I keep editing spelling, its due to abug...I can't see what I am typing on the blackberry until after I submit it....sleep well, all!
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ryankelly
Trad climber
calistoga, ca
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Awesome photos Tom! Super Fly.
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elcap-pics
climber
Crestline CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 2, 2008 - 01:11am PT
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Kate you haven't seen the ones I got with the new lens... really sweet, you will love these as much as I love your red shirt and yellow helmet!! Have fun and I will hit you up on the radio when you guys are close to the top to make arrangements with the monkeys... have fun and enjoy your last days on the wall!!
Tom
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doktor_g
Social climber
Mt Shasta, CA
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Duuuude. Keep an eye on Lambone on Zenyata Mondata.
Thanks,
Grover
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Danielle Winters
Trad climber
Alaska
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I hope Yuji is gonna be Ok , But that said, I learned a long time ago that the~ enemy of Good is Better! .
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Prod
Big Wall climber
A place w/o Avitars apparently
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Tom,
Just in case you don't go back and read yesterdays post.
"Tom,
I do hope and also think you know that I was kidding. Your reports rock.
Prod."
Cheers.
Prod.
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Dave Johnson
Mountain climber
Sacramento, CA
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Thanks for the report, Tom, and kudos to Jay & Jeanette who went from Camp 5 to the top. When they stop by the bridge today tell them other Ghoulwe's are on the way with Champagne!
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Ghoulwe
Trad climber
Spokane, WA
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Yeah, like Dave Johnson said, congratulations to Jay & Jeanette! Can't wait for an official trip report.
Eric
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the Fet
Knackered climber
A bivy sack in the secret campground
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The photos of the SW Face are an excellent addition to the reports.
Great to hear live updates from Kate on the cap'n itself.
Here's ther word from Hans' email enews
Yuji went up to onsight freeclimb the route "FREESTONE" near Yosemite Falls yesterday, the 30th, for his "rest day." Apparently a few pitches up he went to clip to his anchor piece and mis-clipped his daisy. - This resulted in a 20 meter fall where he injured his heel and or ankle fairly bad. I'll know more by the end of today and post news at www.speedclimb.com
If you want to be added send an email to Hans@speedclimb.com asking to be added
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Climb fast, guys! Looks like the weather is about to go south in a hurry. I'm sure Tom and others won't let you get caught off guard, but no molly-gaggin (TM Fish) up there.
Be safe and send that sh!t!
Ed
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Blakeb
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Oregon
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Kate your comment about getting it done with alot of sh#t made me erupt laughing. Your bags look epic, but hopefully they were full of booze.
Good looking out DocG, come back down i need a partner.
Great report as always tom, thankful as always for your awesome contribution to this politics filled forum
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Bump!!!
Nice pics Tom!!!
Dam, I like that new lens.. Gets us all a little closer to the action!
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o
Boulder climber
bishop, ca
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Thanks for all the awesome pics and big wall updates!
NA Wall: I picked up a team of two on the 6th pitch today and they were quickly headed up the free climbing pitches toward Big Sur ledge late in the day.
FYI: that party is my boyfriend, tony (aka t-bone), and his buddy dustin up on na wall.
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JLP
Social climber
The internet
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We have someone posting here from El Cap, checking out pictures of themselves, almost real time.
Things have definitely changed in the decade since I spent my days out there.
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Haha! Yes, Pete is leading *4 hooking and I am here to report that his diabolical laughter is echoing throughout the valley, as he rellishes his top brand duct tape and applies it gingerly to the rock.
Our greatest epic occurred last night. Pete, proud owner of a half pound block of smoked gouda, decided to take mercy and share some with me. Bivied slightly below and to the left of him, I suggested that he toss some down to me.
Blinded by eacgh others headlamps, it was, you could say, a real "shot in the dark.". Har har
Next thing I know I'm lying sidways on myledge seeing stars, pete had football-tossed the full half ppound block...right into my nose.
Did he do it on purpose?
Was that my punishment for too much slack or tension on his lead the prior day? You tell me.
Back yto belaying for me, I think he may move sometime this hour.
;)
-Kate.
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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I would also like to report, that through my 10x binos I can see a van, parked at an inappropriately suiggestive angle next to el cap bridge.
The van is brown.
A brown van, and beside it, a man in red. His red shirt is perfect for viewing from el cap. Thank you for weaering such a nice red shirt!
I am not sure what he's up to, but he has drawn quite a crowd. These people, are for the most part, very very bad dressers and are obviously up to no good, wearing grey and white!! For shame!!
I'm certain that one of them has applied a drill to the top of a black can with a picture of a snake. I have photographed it with my cell phone camera!! Someone else has done the same thing to a can sporting the lenumber "800"
Drilling for oil, no doubt!! ;)
Yes, it is a long morning belaying pete here. My
He is once again protecting expando cruxes with ice gear (dmm spectre) and photographing it.
Oh, the humanity!!!
This is what it takes to climb exactly precisely .754 pitches per day on El Cap.
:) :)
-kate.
:)
-Kate.
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Gene
climber
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Kate,
Good stuff. You made my day!
Nice report from up there. Have fun and be safe.
Gene
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Offset
climber
seattle
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LOL!
the voyeur gets voyeur'ed!!!!
classic...(yet contemporary, real time elcap reports)
WILD!
keep it up yawl!
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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Pete, having just equallized three heads aboved his taped down hooks bounces around and merrilly declares the crux of ZM to be easier than the a2 on Kaos. .
Hehehe. I'm a veeeeeeeeeery attentive belayer! Pete won't mind, he loves internet publicity! ;)
-Kate.
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Gene
climber
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Kate,
can you do pictures with that thingy?
GM
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Blakeb
Big Wall climber
Ashland, Oregon
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I cant believe you have enough time to type all those messages and some of them long, all while belaying pete. Wow!
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Holdplease2
Big Wall climber
Yosemite area
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That's what grigris are for. Pete is cleaning out deadheads that other people bathooked around. It takes a lot of tome and care, so we have down time. Also, I type super fast on the blackberry. After So many days irts nice to talk to someonme besides pete. :)
I can take pics, but getting them on a site and posting up is a pain.
If someone posts their email addy, I can send a pic to them and they can post it up. :)
We are relaxing after our hard pitches, pete doesn't mind that I'm playing now. :)
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Trad climber
San Francisco, Ca
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It's a brave new world where we get live reporting from El Cap. I like it.
Thanks for the reports from the bridge and the belay!
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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This is the best stuff I've read all week! Kate -- still pickin cheese out of yer schnozz? God, that was funny. I'm sure he'll get paid back in spades.
How many days are you from the top? Looks like you may need to hunker down on Saturday. Hope you two are having a great time. Wish I was there equalizing heads with you nut cases.
Climb safe.
Ed
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Gene
climber
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Live, from ZM, it's Kate!!!!
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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Yeah, definitely be safe up there guys. 80% chance on Friday, 90% chance on Sat and 30% chance of snow Sat night for the valley... The October storm is right on schedule.
Edit: Going to be super windy too, it looks like - so anchor from the bottom too. Fri - Southwest wind 9 to 12 mph increasing to between 17 and 20 mph. Friday Night: West southwest wind between 13 and 20 mph. Saturday: Southwest wind between 17 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Of course, that means the Captain will see significantly more wind...
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sbecker
Sport climber
Meff-ferr, Oregon
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This is SO cool!
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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I sent Kate a text message so her and Pete know what's up, as far as the weather and can be prepared... Just in case they don't know.
If anyone else here knows people on the wall, you might want to try to let them know, as well. There were a lot of peeps on the wall when I left the ditch on Sunday. Most of them aren't going to be as connected as Kate.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Might be time to bust a move with that train wreck ...it's getting pretty cloudy here.
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Scout 2
Trad climber
Placerville
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bump
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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kate, tell pete thanks for working on the bad heads for us! Tell him to fix them up nice, well be there in a few days. Carefull on that top out in the storm. Looks like well be under the roofs. Forgot my pad in the truck this time...dumb.
Cheers!
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Sten Noerkjaer
Big Wall climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Oct 18, 2008 - 06:11am PT
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Hi Tom,
Lars Svenson and I (both from Denmark) reached the top of Mescalito on October 2. If you have any photos of us on the route we would really appreciate if you could send them to us.
Best Regards,
Sten Noerkjaer
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