[Photo] Eric Bissell/Yosemite Climbing Management
August 19: In response to rumors about the condition of Half Dome’s Regular Northwest Face (5.9 C1, 2,000′, Robbins-Sherrick-Gallwas, 1957; FFA: 5.12a, Coyne-Jackson-Lorrimer, 1979), and as an update to the NewsWire we published on July 31, we reached out to Yosemite National Park Lead Climbing Ranger Brandon Latham for more information.
As we reported in the NewsWire: Sometime between the night of July 2 and the early morning hours of July 3, an immense five-million-pound section of granite detached itself from the Regular Northwest Face…during a period of heavy rain. The rockfall erased part of Pitch 11 and all of Pitch 12, leaving a bald spot with hanging flakes roughly 200 feet high and 100 feet wide.
“We know of one group that has gone up there in the past week and they had to turn around because they couldn’t get around the pendulum point at the top of the 5.11c corner close to the top of Pitch 12,” Latham said. “When they pendulumed/tension traversed over, they were still unable to access the belay stance on the top of Pitch 12.”
Latham sent us a Route Conditions Report stating:
Climbers attempting the route should still be climbing with a first ascent mentality. There have been no confirmed reports of a successful ascent of the route in its entirety.
Current information indicates that the anchor at the top of pitch 11 has been moved and the access to the 11c corner is via a new bolt ladder and pendulum. It is unclear whether the route is climbable to the top of pitch 12 after the 11c corner. Retreating from Pitch 12 and the Robbins Traverse is potentially complicated and time consuming.
If you have information on route conditions or this recent rock fall event, call the Climbing Management office at 209-372-0360.
For more information, visit: climbingyosemite.com.