Yosemite Seasonal Closures

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Messages 1 - 20 of total 26 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Ben Doyle

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 13, 2012 - 07:15pm PT
To protect Peregrine Falcons, the following areas are closed to climbing:

Arch Rock-All routes from Anticipation to Grokin and on the upper tear from Cross Country Crack to Juliette's Flake.

The Rostrum-Super Nova Wall and all routes on the Rostrum are closed.

Middle Cathedral-North Buttress, Direct North Buttress, Ho Chi Minh Trail, and the Kat Walk above these routes are closed. At the base, the first 5 pitches of these routes remain open.

Yosemite Point-All routes between and including Yosemite Point Buttress, Southwest Face, and Min-Ne-Ah. At the base, the first 5 pitches remain open.

Bolt Wall-All routes closed. Fifi Buttres and The Leaning Tower remain open.

Hetch Hetchy-Wapama Cliff is closed. Kolana Rock is reopened.

Half Dome, South Face-All routes from Autobahn to South Face Route.

These closures will remain in effect until August 1, 2012, or until the chicks fledge and disperse from the area. The avian wildlife biologists recommending these closures are sensitive to climber interests. They work hard to ensure the reproductive success of the falcons, while minimizing the disruption to climbing.
Thanks to the climbing community for cooperation in protecting this magnificent bird!

Ben Doyle, National Park Service, Climbing Management Office.
The Dude

climber
Truckee, CA
Apr 13, 2012 - 07:23pm PT
El Cap is free of the birds and open?
Ben Doyle

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2012 - 07:29pm PT
No, there is a nest on the Great Slab on the Southwest Face. Closures pending.
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Apr 13, 2012 - 08:30pm PT
Note that some areas have also been OPENED since the initial post!
j-tree

Big Wall climber
Classroom to crag to summer camp
Apr 13, 2012 - 08:50pm PT
South East face of El Cap open?
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Apr 13, 2012 - 08:51pm PT
^^^

Yes.

Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:05pm PT
Really? The whole SE Face is open?
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:12pm PT
Yes. Shut up and go solo Iron Hawk.

As for the Great Slab, I wonder if those birds are Kait's and Ammon's friends from Wings of Steel?
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:13pm PT
YES!

The whole SE face is open. And Ben noted, there are (new) closures pending on the SouthWEST face.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:15pm PT
I know?

Should I?

Which is the better, prouder (I hate that word) route? Lost in America or Iron Hawk?

I feel that Iron Hawk will be more of an adventure.
Melissa

Gym climber
berkeley, ca
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:15pm PT
Have their been closures on the N. Buttress of Middle before? I wouldn't have suspected or even checked for that one if I didn't see this.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:21pm PT
Iron Hawk is a much harder, cooler, burlier, and prouder solo than Lost In America. You get to warm up on the El Cap Tree route, get scared climbing up to the roof, through the roof is spectacular, then good climbing.

What makes IH great value is the traversing pitches up higher. Fun nailing, it keeps coming at ya. It makes you think with all the traversing - it's a great problem-solving exercise. Figure out how to deal with all the traverses and afterwards you can solve most any ropework problem. Plus because you are following lines of weakness, there are very few rivet ladders, and LOTS of climbing, way more pitches than L in A.

Then there's that bit of free climbing at the top - scary for me, trivial for you.
Mark Hudon

Trad climber
Hood River, OR
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:36pm PT
Okay, I'm on it.

Let me make a revised "Digging A Hole Motivational Program Statement".

I, Mark Hudon, will solo Iron Hawk this spring, 2012.
'Pass the Pitons' Pete

Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:41pm PT
^^ This ^^ is what we call The Big Announcement.

Bravo!
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Apr 13, 2012 - 09:54pm PT
Melissa: I don't think so.
BooYah

Social climber
Ely, Nv
Apr 13, 2012 - 11:15pm PT
Mr. Ben, be advised, it's "tier". FYI

wee man

Trad climber
truckee ca
Apr 14, 2012 - 12:28am PT
just curious which areas have been opened since the original post
cleo

Social climber
the canyon below the Ditch!!!!
Apr 14, 2012 - 12:35pm PT
Reopened (thus far) are:

SE face of El Cap
Rhombus Wall
Kolana Rock in Hetch Hetchy
Glacier Point east side
scuffy b

climber
heading slowly NNW
Apr 16, 2012 - 06:26pm PT
Also reopened is the western part of Arch Rock 2nd tier (GRE, SAT, the Bin,
etc.).
Ben Doyle

climber
Topic Author's Reply - May 27, 2012 - 05:01pm PT
Thanks for all the contribution on this topic!

The closure of Southwestern slab on El Cap is official. Everything from Peter Pan (including Never Neverland, and others that start on PP) to Dihedral Wall is closed. Excalibur and Cosmos remain open.

Thanks again to Krystle and Sarah, the avian wildlife biologists, for spending long hours monitoring the birds and taking pains to find a balance between climber interests and peregrine protection.

Thanks for everyone's effort to spread climber awareness of the closures!

Ben Doyle
Climbing Ranger
(209) 372.0360 work
(304) 237.6502 cell
Messages 1 - 20 of total 26 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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