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Gmburns2000
Feb 25, 2009, 6:06 PM
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For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome that get a lot of non-climber traffic at the top (tourists, hikers, etc.) what are the dangers of falling objects from above?
I know there's a risk in climbing in general, so I'm not asking about loose blocks being pulled off by climbers. I'm also not talking about how kids kick rocks onto climbers below at the crag.
I'm talking about the tourist at the top of Half Dome who is changing his camera batteries when - oops! - he drops a battery and it rolls over the edge. This actually happens fairly often in Acadia because hikers can access the summit of all the mountains on the island, and they often don't realize climbers are below them (admittingly, it isn't camera batteries but usually rocks). But a big wall seems to be so much more dangerous because the drop is bigger.
Does this happen frequently? Do you prepare in any way for it? Ever had any close calls, injuries, damaged gear as a result?
I imagine the Park Service has signs at the top to warn people, but that wouldn't necessarily stop it from happening.
I'm just curious, that's all.
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graniteboy
Feb 25, 2009, 6:35 PM
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Well...nothing statistically accurate here, just a single anectdotal pice of evidence.
I've never had tourist garbage dropped on me while on the captain. But on half dome, yes. Hard to tell if it was definitely tourist dropped, but I assumed so....a half eaten can of beans splatted next to my head while sleeping at the base. I don't sleep close to the base anymore before doing a lap on the dome.
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marc801
Feb 25, 2009, 6:41 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome that get a lot of non-climber traffic at the top (tourists, hikers, etc.) what are the dangers of falling objects from above?
Gmburns2000 wrote: I imagine the Park Service has signs at the top to warn people...
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Gmburns2000
Feb 25, 2009, 6:55 PM
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graniteboy wrote: Well...nothing statistically accurate here, just a single anectdotal pice of evidence. I've never had tourist garbage dropped on me while on the captain. But on half dome, yes. Hard to tell if it was definitely tourist dropped, but I assumed so....a half eaten can of beans splatted next to my head while sleeping at the base. I don't sleep close to the base anymore before doing a lap on the dome.
Sleeping at any base has always been a freaky notion for me, let alone a big wall. But what about when you're sleeping on the wall? Kind of hard to get away then.
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Gmburns2000
Feb 25, 2009, 6:57 PM
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marc801 wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome that get a lot of non-climber traffic at the top (tourists, hikers, etc.) what are the dangers of falling objects from above? El Cap doesn't get much non-climber traffic at all, and the rounded slabby nature of the top tends to keep the few hikers away from the big drop.
OK.
In reply to: Gmburns2000 wrote: I imagine the Park Service has signs at the top to warn people... Nope.
That's interesting. Acadia, where the "mountains" are considerably smaller than the approach to Half Dome, has signs above where there are climbers below. You'd think with all the people walking up to the top that there'd be signs.
It's interesting to know.
Thanks.
edited for clarity.
(This post was edited by Gmburns2000 on Feb 25, 2009, 6:58 PM)
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sspssp
Feb 25, 2009, 7:45 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome that get a lot of non-climber traffic at the top (tourists, hikers, etc.) what are the dangers of falling objects from above?
For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome, that get a lot of climber traffic, the danger of falling objects from the party above you is huge.
Wear a helmet.
There is some danger from tourists on half dome, but that is the lesser of the two.
(This post was edited by sspssp on Feb 25, 2009, 7:49 PM)
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sspssp
Feb 25, 2009, 7:47 PM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: Does this happen frequently? Do you prepare in any way for it? Ever had any close calls, injuries, damaged gear as a result?
One thing that surprises me is most climbers that are "cragging" at the base of El Cap (moby dick~sachercracker area, for instance) only wear a helmet (if they wear one at all) while climbing. As if a dropped cam from the party up on Salathe is going to care whether you are just sitting at the base or are "roped up".
(This post was edited by sspssp on Feb 25, 2009, 7:49 PM)
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graniteboy
Feb 25, 2009, 8:19 PM
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The place I like to sleep on 1/2 dome regular rt is the top of the 12th. It seems like that nice skinny little ledge is a little protected from falling stuff above to some extent....especially for the guy sleeping on the right.
But yeah, agreed...on most walls that see any kind of climber traffic in the valley, you're way more likely to get whacked from dropped gear than tourist summit garbage. And yes, I think they do have signs up there teling folks not to drop their mickey mouse hats and polaroid cameras and such off on the climbers.
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marc801
Feb 25, 2009, 8:20 PM
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sspssp wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome, that get a lot of climber traffic, the danger of falling objects from the party above you is huge. Wear a helmet. There is some danger from tourists on half dome, but that is the lesser of the two.
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sspssp
Feb 25, 2009, 8:41 PM
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marc801 wrote: sspssp wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome, that get a lot of climber traffic, the danger of falling objects from the party above you is huge. Wear a helmet. There is some danger from tourists on half dome, but that is the lesser of the two. We were nearly hit with: a pulley, a biner, a couple of nuts, and assorted rocks (from P6 bivi ledge) while preping at the base of the Half Dome NWF.
And were you wearing your helmets during the prep stage?
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Gmburns2000
Feb 25, 2009, 8:55 PM
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sspssp wrote: marc801 wrote: sspssp wrote: For big walls such as El Cap and Half Dome, that get a lot of climber traffic, the danger of falling objects from the party above you is huge. Wear a helmet. There is some danger from tourists on half dome, but that is the lesser of the two. We were nearly hit with: a pulley, a biner, a couple of nuts, and assorted rocks (from P6 bivi ledge) while preping at the base of the Half Dome NWF. And were you wearing your helmets during the prep stage?
Yeah, it's good practice to wear helmets at the base of most crags / cliffs. I'm not great about it, but I try to have mine on even at the 'Gunks.
Hearing about gear falling from other parties is kind of scary. I wouldn't want to be on the other end of a piton falling straight down on a windless day. 
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KurtBurt
Apr 16, 2009, 9:17 PM
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While on angels landing in Zion the trail is so close that its very common the hear the Whoosh of falling items! From Prodigal Sun its not that bad casue the trail isn't directly overhead but while working Ball and Chain for the free ascent we got bombed often and it core shot on of our fixed ropes! Nice surprise to hit that 500ft off the ground. Days of No Future same the trail is directly over head. I really think the park service should post some signs at the top of the routes telling people not to huck stuff off CLIMBERS BELOW! JMO
Kurt "Burt" Arend
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ncclimber
Apr 17, 2009, 1:12 AM
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The put signs at the top of a climb here in NC where the trail is. They threw the sign off!!!!!!!!!
(This post was edited by ncclimber on Apr 17, 2009, 1:14 AM)
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dominic7
Apr 17, 2009, 1:38 AM
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Gmburns2000 wrote: graniteboy wrote: Well...nothing statistically accurate here, just a single anectdotal pice of evidence. I've never had tourist garbage dropped on me while on the captain. But on half dome, yes. Hard to tell if it was definitely tourist dropped, but I assumed so....a half eaten can of beans splatted next to my head while sleeping at the base. I don't sleep close to the base anymore before doing a lap on the dome. Sleeping at any base has always been a freaky notion for me, let alone a big wall. But what about when you're sleeping on the wall? Kind of hard to get away then.
Last fall on Skull Queen there were acorns or some such shit falling about once every half hour. You would hear them coming down in a humming/whistling sound. It was freaking me out until one hit me and it wasn't so bad and then I fell asleep.
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Gmburns2000
Apr 17, 2009, 12:57 PM
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dominic7 wrote: Gmburns2000 wrote: graniteboy wrote: Well...nothing statistically accurate here, just a single anectdotal pice of evidence. I've never had tourist garbage dropped on me while on the captain. But on half dome, yes. Hard to tell if it was definitely tourist dropped, but I assumed so....a half eaten can of beans splatted next to my head while sleeping at the base. I don't sleep close to the base anymore before doing a lap on the dome. Sleeping at any base has always been a freaky notion for me, let alone a big wall. But what about when you're sleeping on the wall? Kind of hard to get away then. Last fall on Skull Queen there were acorns or some such shit falling about once every half hour. You would hear them coming down in a humming/whistling sound. It was freaking me out until one hit me and it wasn't so bad and then I fell asleep.
 Yeah, acorns always sound scarier than they really are, even when they're falling ten feet from the tree above.
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dancefax
Apr 17, 2009, 3:26 PM
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I was dosing on our portaledge on the nose when I heard the ripping, screaming jet like sound of a large falling object followed by a large bang close by, soaked in adrenalin I was now fully awake when the same thing happened again, you guessed it, it was those looney base jumpers!
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wallrat
May 13, 2009, 6:34 AM
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LOL, that happened to me at base of El Cap. Bout crapped my pants. It sounded like the biggest rock on Earth coming right for my bivi.
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lambone
May 14, 2009, 9:13 PM
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Friend of mine was nearly crushed by a guy commiting suicide off the Visor on Half Dome.
They bailed.
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