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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 11, 2014 - 09:29am PT
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FYI - There was a large rockfall from the southeast face of El Capitan at about 04:30 this morning. The rockfall originated from the far eastern side of the face, slightly east of the path of Horsetail Falls but west of the East Buttress. A large block free-fell for several hundred meters then impacted hard on a lower angle slope just above the base of the cliff. This impact caused the block to pulverize, creating a very large dust cloud that filled the western portion of the valley for about an hour.
This is the same general location as rockfalls occurring in 2010, but this new source is higher and appears to be distinct from and unrelated to the 2010 rockfalls.
Using the xRez photo of the southeast face taken in 2008 before the rockfall, it is possible to get a sense of the block that failed (this, by the way, is one of the main reasons that we took those photos). The cliff before the rockfall is shown on the left, and after on the right - note that they were not taken from the same location and so are not exact replicates. Interesting that the cliff does not show obvious signs of instability in the "before" photo.
There have been no reports of injuries, but no doubt many climbers on El Cap witnessed the event. The East Buttress route and the approach to that route along the base of the cliff are temporarily closed.
Greg Stock
Park Geologist
(209) 379-1420
greg_stock@nps.gov
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jun 11, 2014 - 09:54am PT
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Sick looking roof. Klaus, one FA less for you lol
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gstock
climber
Yosemite Valley
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Topic Author's Reply - Jun 11, 2014 - 10:42am PT
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Pitches 8-9 of Get Whacked and pitches 6-7 of Chinese Water Torture are probably quite different now. The lower pitches of Pressure Cooker and the Waterfall Route were also likely affected by the impact.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jun 11, 2014 - 10:44am PT
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Read about Bonatti on the Grand Jorasses with a hundred plus meter tower falling right over him!
The mountains are alive, but people easily forget this.
I wonder what time of year the most mass wasting occurs.
(this would have been Layton's 76th birthday; maybe its his restless spirit)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jun 11, 2014 - 10:51am PT
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Wow, huge block and no apparent weakness before.
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Roxy
Trad climber
CA Central Coast
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Jun 11, 2014 - 10:59am PT
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YIKES!!!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jun 11, 2014 - 11:14am PT
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Yikes!
So glad no one was under that at the time!
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:05pm PT
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Was awoken by this from my bivy ledge on Lost Brother. VERY loud and the dust cloud moved slowly towards the meadow like creeping fog. Tried to get pictures but my little point and shoot wasn't up for the task.
Interestingly, I counted numerous parties on the nose, zodiac, and on top last night as I went to bed; only a party low on the nose bothered to wake up and look around with headlamps. The rest of the Captain was quiet and dark. Very disconcerting at the time as I couldn't see well enough to know how close to Zodiac the rockfall was.
Definite worst moment of the week came in those split seconds when I woke up on my portaledge, recognized rockfall, but didn't know if it was coming from above me on my formation or from somewhere else in the valley. Not easy to get back to bed after waking that way.
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cali kat
climber
CA
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:13pm PT
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Pardon the El Cap naivete, but does this impact the East Ledges descent?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:17pm PT
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Read about Bonatti on the Grand Jorasses with a hundred plus meter tower falling right over him!
He had some EPIC stories in his book. Was a true badass. Real climber.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:19pm PT
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East Ledges Descent is way around the corner. Nowhere near.
Interesting that Greg and Co have closed East Buttress route for now.
Hopefully erring on the safe side.
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Michelle
Social climber
1187 Hunterwasser
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:28pm PT
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Haha V
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cali kat
climber
CA
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:36pm PT
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Thanks, High Traverse! Glad this won't strand climbers topping out.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
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Jun 11, 2014 - 12:54pm PT
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greg, to the question above, isn't most rock fall occurring in the heat of the afternoon in the early season?
Anyone have the link to Greg's posting about this?
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saa
climber
Bleau, cham, pink granite coast
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Jun 11, 2014 - 01:32pm PT
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If anyone has complaints about government employees salary being a waste of dollar, let them see this!
thanks to you, master geologist of ours.
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RyanD
climber
Squamish
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Jun 11, 2014 - 01:37pm PT
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Glad nobody was hurt.
Those before and after pics are in-sane!
Yep, looks like u gotta head back up there Klaus.
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Jun 11, 2014 - 01:44pm PT
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Pretty scary stuff, considering how many times I've been in the impact area. Thanks, Greg, for your invaluable posts here.
John
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McHale's Navy
Trad climber
From Panorama City, CA
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Jun 11, 2014 - 03:02pm PT
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It's ridiculous that the rocks can't just stay put. It's very disappointing.
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j-tree
Big Wall climber
Typewriters and Ledges
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Jun 11, 2014 - 03:15pm PT
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sorry Ryan, the NPS failed to pay for a warranty when I established it.
+1,000,000
Klaus wins this thread
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