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WBraun
climber
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May 26, 2011 - 08:06pm PT
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HT -- "Looks like you could get a strong cargo net beneath it to take its weight before cutting it free."
You don't need a cargo net.
Just drill a couple of bolts into the thing and you're good to go .....
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cultureshock
Trad climber
Mountain View
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May 26, 2011 - 08:10pm PT
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The main reason this was brought up is that the rock should have fallen in the past but the block was secured back to the wall BY CLIMBERS.
More webbing has been added recently, in 2010, to hold this block "in place". It's true that block is unlikely to fall off in the immediate future but it would be great to have it removed!
It's possible an unknowing climber could attempt the monster, expect this block to be a jug, grab it and pull it off to their death as well as possibly hurting people on the ground.
I feel there are far more people who crag on the left side from moby dick to sacher cracker (ie under this block) compared to under the Nose and the right side routes.
 Luke
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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May 26, 2011 - 08:13pm PT
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Bolts were my first thought. Depending on how much it weighs. Could be dicey if it rotates against the wall on the way down and mangles the hangers. I figured a net would be about foolproof. With some chafe protection. Dolt Cart? ;-)
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Largo
Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
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May 26, 2011 - 08:31pm PT
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It's been difficult to arrange this mission, and I wish we had already taken care of it. Just let me emphasize that this is not a standard operation, and please don't just tell the pirates to deal with this one.
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The "mission" is simple. But herding the cats required to clear the base and the lower wall is the hard part, made all the harder because there is no money in it for anyone, and the Park Service needs to spend bank to arrange the security to pull off thirty seconds of Bombs over Tokyo.
JL
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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May 26, 2011 - 08:45pm PT
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A permanent granite pendant. That's thinking out of the box.
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Tom
Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
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May 26, 2011 - 08:51pm PT
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It's a ~100# block
In the U.S., the '#' symbol represents pounds, not stone.
But, you're right, it's a 100 stone block - about 1400 lbs, if not more.
And it's not as impressively deadly as the ones that used to be on the Nose. But many groups going up the Salathe these days traverse over, and grab that thing.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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May 26, 2011 - 08:51pm PT
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Hey guys, I have 6400 feet of 7/16 static, what do you say we rig a good sized pulley on the rim? We could kill two birds here, trundle the block AND get a speed ascent of freerider (or horse chute, or heart, or whatever). I'm not sure if ill need to wear my TC pros or if rollerskates would work better....?
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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May 26, 2011 - 08:58pm PT
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Rocker Block West...Better idea than shutting down El Cap, IMO. But, I'm OK with being careful if you're climbing by and accepting your risk if you're cragging under wall climbers too.
I'd be pissed if I flew over from Italy to do the Salathe and learned was closed to new starts for a few days b/c there was a loose block on El Cap.
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Larry
Trad climber
Bisbee
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May 26, 2011 - 09:02pm PT
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If officials get involved with cutting it loose, I hope they do a better job of getting the word out than they did a few years ago.
A couple of climbers that I know personally were wanting to hike up along the base of the SE face. They encountered police tape, and a sign saying the area behind the tape was closed. No reason, just closed.
They ducked under the tape in good "resist much, obey little" style.
Later, they heard WHY the area was closed (cutting loose of a block in the Dawn Wall area). They sensibly hiked back on the Zodiac approach.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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May 26, 2011 - 09:03pm PT
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What about this one?
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MTucker
Ice climber
Arizona
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May 26, 2011 - 10:07pm PT
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Launch It god damnit!
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tom Carter
Social climber
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May 27, 2011 - 02:06pm PT
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Is that on the Block?
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WallMan
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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May 27, 2011 - 03:25pm PT
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Tom - no - that is not the block.
Wally
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Mittens
climber
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May 27, 2011 - 03:29pm PT
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that is most certainly on the block.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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May 27, 2011 - 04:49pm PT
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It's the Block. I've been told that the dangler and its buddy rocks used used to live further up the slope not so long ago. No doubt that one day they will move on down to the Alcove.
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StahlBro
Trad climber
San Diego, CA
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May 27, 2011 - 04:54pm PT
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Some good epoxy would do the trick, but it looks like it wants to return the soil to me
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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May 27, 2011 - 05:32pm PT
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Tom, this thing is hanging out of the Monster Crack which is just to the left of the Salathe regular route between the Ear and the Alcove. In that really long offwidth alternative to the regular nailup/5.13+ pitch above the Ear. It is closer to the Alcove, has been tied off for a few years and is now simply hanging on the tie-offs. It will break away soon so some kind of organized event to trundle it has to take place since the base is such a playground. Either that or haul it to the Alcove. It weighs about 175-200 lbs.
The Block (and Ledge) is a couple pitches above Broad Ledge and about six above the Alcove / five above the Spire. Or, three pitches below the Headwall.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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May 27, 2011 - 05:35pm PT
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Peter, I think Tom was asking about the one (on the Block) in the pic I just posted.
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tom Carter
Social climber
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May 27, 2011 - 06:05pm PT
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Yes, thank you. I remember the sloping bivy. I'm always amazed at how many blocks there are once you get to exploring the walls.
Thanks PH. Understood.
TC
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JakeW
Big Wall climber
CA
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May 28, 2011 - 11:53am PT
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What a famous block! If this thing was a climber, it would be well sponsored, with corporate stickers all over it. Its getting some good press, despite that fact that its clearly hangdogging.
This block has been there seeming sketchy for a long time. In the last couple of years it definitely got a little sketchier, became harder to get around, and moves more.
However, it might not be about to come out. The first pic in this thread is extremely misleading. The last time I was up there, last summer, I looked at it quite a bit while daintily climbing around it, and on it. It's still in the crack, and is not just dangling from the slings. The slings are girthed around the top nose of it, and I'm not sure they could actually hold the whole thing. They do keep it from wobbling as much though.
Though this thing could certainly cut loose at any moment, it might be possible that it can't cut loose at all. If an attempt is ever made to safely trundle this thing, it's possible that it won't come out. It might just move all over the place but go nowhere. Who knows, but that definitely dampens the motivation to spend a day, or days, trying to do it.
Hopefully it doesn't ever kill anyone.
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