Yosemite National Park is one of the world’s greatest climbing areas. Climbers from around the world come to California to enjoy the seemingly endless variety of challenges offered in the park from the sustained crack climbs of the Merced River Canyon to the multi-day climbs on the big walls of the Valley.
Climbing in Yosemite has inherent risks and over 100 climbing accidents occur in the park each year (15-25 parties require a rescue). One hazard that can lead to serious injury is falling rock or gear. Preventing gear from falling on people below is a matter of responsible climbing but rock falls can be a bit more unpredictable.
One way to mitigate rock fall dangers is trundling, the act of deliberated removing loose or unstable rocks from cliffs or climbing routes. In National Parks these preventive safety measures are usually tasked to professionals who use specialized equipment like airbags and pry bars to intentionally remove rocks of varying size and prevent accidental rockfalls.
Occasionally a climber will come across a dangerously loose flake and decide to trundle it on the spot to mitigate the immediate danger. This type of amateur ad hoc trundling is a controversial and potentially dangerous activity and should not be attempted unless absolutely necessary and the trundler can confirm that no one is below them in the danger zone.
The following trundle was preformed on the Horns of Jericho climbing route in Yosemite. The climber was concerned that the “Death Flake” posed an immediate danger to future climbing parties and decided to release it by torquing it off the wall with his feet.
“Warnings were yelled and the base was observed for any possible people below before starting to record the video. This was an obscure area with no hiking trails and only one climbing route and one can see parties approaching long before they reach the base.”
Trundling of rock faces in National Parks is generally regulated and likely illegal without proper authorization. Specific park policies vary but generally physical alteration of rock faces is prohibited including chiseling, glue reinforcement of existing holds, gluing of new holds and trundling rocks. Trundling is extremely dangerous and should be left to professionals unless not doing so poses an imminent danger.
