July 8, 2015

"A massive sheet of rock fell from the vertical face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park..."

"... making one of the most popular routes attempted by climbers in North America even more challenging, park officials said Tuesday."
The granite sheet that peeled off measured roughly 100 by 200 feet. It was discovered by climbers who were attempting the route and had to turn back....

13 comments:

Known Unknown said...

I blame Bush.

$9,000,000,000 Write Off said...

I blame Global Warming

Anonymous said...

It would have been more interesting if folks had been climbing the route...

Seriously, it will require some better climbers to actually blaze a new route and place pitons so that the followers can traverse the area.

after that, business as usual, till the next slide...

Unknown said...

Fortunately the base of Half Dome is removed from the main facilities, campgrounds, etc in the valley. 19 years ago almost to the day a large granite sheet fell near a campground injuring a dozen or so people and killing one.

Wiki article: http://tinyurl.com/peak4yn

Humbly submitted - some of my musings about the Sierras: http://www.ego-vero.net/main/?p=2096

Curious George said...

"sports"?

mikeski said...

"sports"?

Absolutely. It even makes Hemingway's short list (of three).

Unknown said...

Man caused climbit change was surely the culprit, should ban people from the entire park.

Popville said...

The shape of the fallen sheet makes me think Half Dome simply got its rocks off. Must have been all that constant climber friction.

Henry said...

I love the juxtaposition of this headline with the next one.

"A massive sheet of rock fell from the vertical face of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park..."

"It’s amazing we survived," says Scott Walker's campaign manager Rick Wiley.

SteveR said...

There's a reason that an "exfoliated batholith" is such a distinctive feature. No time to clutter the surface with soil and plants and stuff.

CWJ said...

"Man caused climbit change was surely the culprit.."

The "climbit." This must be fitbit's new product for mountaineers.

Wince said...

Now even my MacBook Desktop background needs an update?

Unknown said...

DPM has some background and context here: http://www.dpmclimbing.com/articles/view/rock-fall-half-dome-changes-trade-route-forever