Releasing loose rocks on a climbing route, known as rock trundling, has been a controversial subject here on the blog over the last few months.
On one hand, when done correctly, rock trundling can actually be a preventative safety measure for future climbers coming through the route. On the other, it can be extremely dangerous for anybody in the surrounding area.
The video below shows experienced climbers releasing some rather large boulders from Redgarden Wall in Eldorado State Park, Colorado. You can see and hear that they are communicating with people in the area using radios to alert them when the rocks are going to begin to fall.
Greg German:Â “Trundled a big loose block off The Diving Board and another off Anthill Direct. *Support your local climbing organization(s)*
This is an extremely dangerous thing to do, but I’m going to assume that these guys are experienced and are just trying to make the route safer for future climbers. We definitely DO NOT recommend doing this while you’re out on a climb. Leave this kind of stuff up to the professionals.
The last thing you want is to trundle a huge boulder and injure or kill somebody below. Just stay safe out there, friends.