Rescue Complex on El Capitan
October 19 to 22, 2004
Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Multiple Routes
Photos
from the El Capitan rescues. Click thumbnails for full size
image.
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El Capitan's
Salathe Wall during a
brief break in the storm, 10/19.
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YOSAR Coordinator
K. Lober briefs
rescuers in the under-construction training room.
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Support Team Leader
B. Hergert
interfaces with snowmobile support near Tamarack Flat, approx 4am,
10/20. |
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Rescuers continue
on the 11-mile hike
in through heavy snow and slush just before sunrise, 10/20.
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Support team
members carry in 50 to 80
pound packs of rescue and survival gear, 10/20.
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Highway 120 covered
in snow, closing
much earlier than normal, 10/20.
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Rescuers continue
up the back side of
El Capitan in deepening snow, 10/20.
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The route, which
was obscured by snow
and low visibility, was flagged by a three-man team the day before,
10/20. |
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The advanced rescue
team stops and
builds a warming fire near Ribbon
Falls, just below the summit, before continuing on, 10/20.
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Climbing Ranger L.
"Link" ELse inspects
SAR-siter S. Vincik's belay
line rigging before starting rescue operations on the Tempest, 10/20. Photo
by N. Knight
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J. Hoeflich
prepares to be lowered
down the face to aid the stranded solo climber on the Tempest, 10/20. Photo
by N. Knight
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As the storm
breaks, J. Hoeflich looks
on while the stranded solo climber jugs the fixed line, 10/20. Photo
by N. Knight
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With blue sky
spreading, rescuers
return to base camp over the
treacherous snowy slabs after completing the Tempest rescue, 10/20. Photo
by N. Knight
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A window of good
weather finally
allows H-551 to fly with sling loads of additional gear and supplies,
10/20. |
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H-551 lands on the
summit of El
Capitan to fly out some of the rescuers. About 20 remained in base camp
over night, 10/20. |
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Ski Patroler B.
Shoor at the summit
with the 80 pound pack he carried in, 10/20.
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Rescuers await
helicopter pick-up on
the summit after the first day's rescue, 10/20.
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Sling loads of
gear sit with a view of
the park thrown suddenly into winter, 10/20.
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Media teams and
fire crews await the
return of H-551 with the solo climber rescued from the Tempest, 10/20.
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Camera crews
pounce on the rescued
climber, still chilled from weathering out the storm on the face, 10/20.
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YOSAR gurus E.
Visnovski and M. Braun
move gear across a snowy El Cap summit, 10/20.
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J. Hoeflich manages
edge protection
over the Never Neverland route on
the second day of rescues, with H-551 and visitor vehicles below,
10/21. Photo
by N. Knight
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Park Helitac
crewmember directs H-551
in to the summit, 10/21. Photo
by B. Hergert
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H-551 flies in
over a wintery park,
10/21. |
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M. Marschall and B.
Hergert manage the
main line as rescuer B. Latham
is lowered over the edge of the Salathe Wall, third day of rescues,
10/22. |
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SAR-siter G.
Loniewski manages the
prussiks as the team hauls up the rescuer and a stranded climber on the
main line, 10/22. |
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Rescuer B. Latham
(in purple) reaches
the stranded climbing party on
the Salathe, as seen through a spotting scope on the Valley floor,
10/22. |
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J. Hoeflich on the
lip, managing edge
protection on the Salathe, 10/22.
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Rescue personnel
back at the SAR Cache
(L to R): P. Takeda of Rock and
Ice Magazine, K. Lober, D. Mc Divit, W. Braun, J. Helling.
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The Captain
remains unmoved following
three days of dramatic rescues, 10/22.
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