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Terry
climber
Spokane
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Jan 27, 2010 - 10:52am PT
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Closest call we ever had was a barrage as we started RR on HD. Microwave sized blocks were wizzing over my head at the first belay. Awful hard to get a pic of rocks falling but here is the next best thing. My partner was standing where the 'X' is when the first rock hit not six inches from him taking out the shrubbery that was previously covering the marked rock . Pretty cool to exactly see its size - approx. that of a small bowling ball. Happened so fast it took a moment for it to sink in that he came so close to being dead of dying. His helmet wouldn't have made a bit of difference (but it sure helped me weather the storm of small stuff that came down and hit me on the belay)
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jan 27, 2010 - 11:17am PT
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I've climbed a fair bit o' choss in the world but my two closest calls have
been in the Valley and I never even climbed there that much! Of course,
they weren't 'natural' rockfalls.
ps
I guess my PTSD prevented me from noting that I did almost lose a leg
in the Cascades but the Valley ones were scarier 'cause they came afterwards.
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Jan 27, 2010 - 02:42pm PT
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Fred, Clint, Greg B.,
I've been in a battle with an unknown vandal(s). Pretty much all of the posts in the Valley have been stolen or removed and relocated (into the woods, on top of Pee-pee Pillar,...). With the help of the other climbing rangers, and Roger Brown, we've replaced the Carabiner posts at least once in all of these locations, but many of them disappeared again. Then we replaced them again. So the game goes on. I haven't replaced the Reeds one again yet.
"I'm not in favor of modifying Yosemite for the sake of us climbers but something needs to be done there to mark and maintain a trail to reduce rockfall potential. The consequences could be fatal to passers-by."
I agree completely, I'm going to send your comments on to Roads and Trails, if you don't mind. I think the idea of Safety for drivers on 120 (Big Oak Flat Rd.) will achieve the most immediate results. My feeling is that they should build a small and tasteful retaining wall that climbers can use as a durable stairway. That leads to the use trail (which we need to work on for sure!). It would be cool to arrange a workday this spring up there.
Thanks for bringing it up.
Jesse
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Jan 27, 2010 - 02:59pm PT
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Here's another interesting topic to consider about rock fall.
Climbers are always alerting me of "time bombs"--large rocks barely hanging on or even anchored in in some manner. Unless it is of massive scale, we can't preemptively close and area because it looks like a rock or rocks may fall.
One example:
In the Monster Offwidth on Freerider, there's a teetering block the size of a small fridge. It actually rocks back and forth when you touch it, and is barely hanging on form some type of tattered anchor. I've talked with other Rangers about the idea of removing it. We have done this in the past at least couple times (Werner?); once on the Nose, and once on Stately Pleasure Dome. However, its a dangerous precedent, is a dangerous operation for the rescuer, and for obvious reasons highly controversial. If a climber happened to be up there and felt like he had to cut it loose for emergency safety reasons, and he/she notifies YOSAR about the situation, I think we would do whatever we could to clear the impact zone area and prevent people from going to the base.
Jesse
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 27, 2010 - 03:07pm PT
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Thanks, Jesse. These sorts of things have also been something of an issue in Squamish (and elsewhere in Canada) recently. See http://gripped.com/forum/?wpforumaction=viewtopic&t=22168.0 More in the context of climbers 'cleaning' new routes, but same concept.
Perhaps Ken would be willing to have a few small groups at the FaceLift do some trail work, under NPS direction? The YCA has focused on general cleanup, but as time goes on there may be less of it to do, at the same time as the FaceLift grows. It would take some organizing in terms of tools, safety, and volunteers, but would also contribute to the health of the park.
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Buju
Trad climber
the range of light
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Jan 27, 2010 - 03:33pm PT
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Greg, Jesse, others...
Hola from La Ticla, Mexico!
The RP on that Tuolumne fall this year is sitting to my right, and both of us have never seen or heard of any other rockfalls in Tuolumne (besides the ones already mentioned). We have both seen stuff come off of the peaks (Conness...), but never in tuolumne proper!
Cheers,
Roger
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JesseM
Social climber
Yosemite
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Jan 27, 2010 - 05:13pm PT
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Roger!
So you and Harrison are ripping it up in Ticla? We may have some other friends down there too.
Robin says you are going to J-tree as soon as you get back? Sounds fun.
Anders, I think the climber trail projects for the Facelift will happen this year. Although I hope we can take care of Reid's before this fall.
Jesse
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gonamok
Trad climber
poway, ca
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Jan 27, 2010 - 08:02pm PT
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We were roping up at the base of middle cathedral to do the DNB about 10 years ago and it was very hot that day, so we sought shade amongst the trees by the base. We were putting on our shoes and talking when there was a sudden, deafening explosion. Nobody knew what happened for a moment, then i saw bloody sunglasses next to me. My friend paul was laying in the talus bleeding from the head and shoulder and the unmistakable stench of rock smoke was in the air.
A rock the size of a head of cabbage had fallen from the u shaped bowl and glanced off pauls head before slamming into his shoulder. We got paul moving (he could walk) and got to the base of the cliff where we should have been to start with, picked up our gear and walked him out. He had facial lacerations, concussion, fractured shoulder and the deepest gash imaginable thru his rotator cuff. He was a bloody mess by the time we got him to the clinic, where those a-holes let him sit for hours until i threatened to start tearing the place up if he didnt get treatment. Real jerks, but thats not the story.
On that day the valley changed in my mind from a climbing disneyland to a dangerous mountain environment. We could have easily lost paul that day and he was the only non climber among us. There was no warning, no whistle, whirr or anything before impact. Be careful and use your mountain skills in the valley. We slacked off and it almost got one of us killed.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Anywhere I like
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Jan 27, 2010 - 09:59pm PT
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so about those loud popping and cracking noises being cracks splitting, that is something I want to see. Ka-pow! new route
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mastadon
Trad climber
quaking has-been
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Jan 27, 2010 - 10:00pm PT
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Sept 28, 2009 5am or so from the base of Washington Column. Prolly woke a few campers up.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jan 28, 2010 - 01:27am PT
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Jesse,
Thanks for the explanation on the signs. Bummer about the vandalism.
Cool idea of a semi-retaining wall at the Reed's roadcut - sounds like a good solution.
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Greg Barnes
climber
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Jan 28, 2010 - 02:38am PT
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Good idea Jesse - a small retaining wall would be the best, since nearly all the rocks come from the 5' above the road anyway (and some of the rocks would be coming off even without anyone knocking them off). The roots above (plus the leaves) do a pretty good job of reducing erosion on the approach trail.
Lame that someone is stealing the signs. Reducing braided trails is a good idea even if the Valley looks more "developed" - since signs aren't going to make any difference in the crowds at the cliff, just how they get there.
Anyone else there that day when we were working on getting rid of braided trails to the East Buttress of Middle, nearly up at the base, and someone knocked off a big block that went bounding down among all the volunteers? Missed everyone, but freaky! One of the NPS folks looked pretty wigged out by that...
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slobmonster
Trad climber
OAK (nee NH)
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Jan 28, 2010 - 02:53am PT
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Eldo has some of the most intense --and climber focused-- trail construction and ret. wall work that I can think of, FWIW. Sorry to drag this further off the original topic.
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gteck
climber
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It is probably bush's fault in addition to global warming and overspending.
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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City of Rocks also has some extremely effective and tasteful erosion protection - not so much with relation to reducing rockfall, but nice work nonetheless. I think there's every good reason for Jesse to need to make a YNPS funded trip to some of these areas to research the possibilities.
Seems to me we read about very small rockfalls off of Medlicott on this very site - little ones, size of single feldspar crystals...
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Feb 16, 2010 - 07:52pm PT
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Finally got around to reading this thread! Thanks Greg, and I appreciate the stories from the rest of you.
Good idea about Reed's and a retaining wall. A friend of mine took a nasty tumble with rocks. Well, it was more like he slipped, decided to turn the slip into running down instead just slipping, which resulted in rocks dislodging and my friend smacking his knee on the road (and perhaps his head). And then he preceded to lay in the road, dazed... at night... and all I could think of way ohmygodihopetherearentcarscoming
But anyway...
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Feb 17, 2010 - 02:04pm PT
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JesseM
Have you had a look at the climber's trails that were improved at the Pinnacles?
The east side trails are easiest to get to and are representative.
I think they were done by or with assistance of Access Fund.
Trails built up in places, even primitive retaining walls in places, and good signs. Replaced a lot of inappropriate use trails. Reduced damage to the ecology.
Reed's probably needs something more substantial due to proximity to road and potentially lethal hazard to non-climbers and vehicles.
I don't suggest a lot of manufactured trails for Yosemite but there might be a few places that it makes sense besides Reed's. I can't think of any other right now, not even Middle Cathedral (no hazard to non-climbers)
Rough tracks are what we expect and are part of the "charm" and accepted risk of climbing.
The criteria to build a trail should include how much usage the area currently gets, current/future impacts on watercourses/riparian habitats, hazards to hikers and vehicles. Otherwise as few improved trails as possible.
I presume nobody wants a via ferrata down the East Ledges.
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D-Rail
Trad climber
Calaveras
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Feb 19, 2010 - 12:01am PT
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We were up at the base of Half Dome on 8/26. The elements were battling in the valley that day; I think that while the rockfall was impressive, forest fire left a more lasting mark....
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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Last clip of Lichen Lunch
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Feb 19, 2010 - 12:05am PT
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Rockfall is cool.
Mom in action! Jump aside! Quick!
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Apr 22, 2010 - 05:09pm PT
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Somebody somewhere (here?) asked me to tell them if ever there were geology/Yosemite talks happening. Well, there's a field trip run by AEG Sacramento to Yosemite on May 1-2, and Greg and I are 2 of the leaders. Info here...
http://www.aegsacto.org/pdf/yosemite_field_trip_flyer.pdf
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