Throwing rocks might seem like a good time, but it’s rarely safe and appropriate behavior. These guys nearly found themselves in a very poor situation after shoving a large boulder down a mountain, causing a major portion of the ridge line to collapse and nearly taking down one of the individuals.
One term that might fit this case is “trundling”. You might have seen some videos of climbers doing a similar act. In some cases it can be necessary to ensure the safety of a climbing route. In this case it’s purely dangerous and potentially illegal depending on where they are.
this gotta be a crime pic.twitter.com/oNOBNdXKsZ
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) November 8, 2024
The danger factor is not hard to understand. If someone was hiking in the gully below, that free-flying rock could easily be a death sentence. And if the big rock doesn’t reach them, there would likely be plenty of debris to cause problems. You might think there’s nobody below when someone is out of sight below a tree, boulder, or ridge. It’s also a clear danger to the people pushing the rock, as we see one guy nearly go down with the cascade. You don’t know how losing one rock will disrupt a pile or ridge line, so don’t mess with any of them.
Another factor to consider is how pushing rocks like this is absolutely against the principles of Leave No Trace. Trees and plants were damaged in this video. Animal habitats were damaged in this video. The natural appearance of the area was damaged in this video. Shoving large boulders down a mountain can ruin the experience for others while directly damaging the local ecosystem.
Not to mention, it could be fully illegal depending on where they are. In Utah, for example, Admin. Code R651-620-3 states that “The tossing, throwing, or rolling of rocks or other materials into valleys or canyons or down hills and mountains is prohibited.” That differs area by area and state by state, but understand that you could be breaking the law by shoving massive boulders down mountains.