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Major rockfall in the Gunks today

Original Post
Jon H · · PC, UT · Joined Nov 2009 · Points: 118

Anyone have any more info?

Happiegrrrl · · Gunks · Joined Dec 2005 · Points: 60

Nobody injured.

Something(s) came off in the Updraft area, but I don't know what started it. sounded very bad, and definitely more that a rock getting loose, but not sure I would categorize it as "major rockfall." Nonetheless - really glad nobody was injured, although perhaps a pair of pants will be seeing the trash this evening....

rgold · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Feb 2008 · Points: 526

Wow, that is an area that would ordinarily have folks congregated belaying the first pitches of Erect Direction and CCK, with Moonlight around the corner possibly vulnerable as well if the rocks fell from above the GT ledge. Fortunate indeed that no one was hurt.

It seems to me that the portion of the cliff there above the GT ledge is pretty solid, with the only obvious place for instability being the chossy corner between the starts of ED and CCK. There are some pretty big blocks on the GT ledge itself, but I would have thought them pretty well anchored.

In the past several years, I think there have been some substantial rockfalls in both the Trapps and the Near Trapps after heavy and/or protracted spring rains. It may be time to be cautious about climbing soon after such weather.

Edit: Ok not Updraft, but No Glow, and not a natural event but one caused by a climber. Sounds like a miracle that no one was killed or even very seriously injured.

losbill · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 130

Geez! At this rate the Gunks is going to eclipse Cannon as the rock fall capital of the Northeast.

Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492

See this thread for the backstory and (at the bottom) a summary of today's scary event. A 40 lb piece missed me by 8 feet. And the sapling I was cowering behind wouldn't have offered much protection had it come right at me.

gunks.com/ubbthreads7/ubbth…

KathyS · · Poughkeepsie, NY · Joined Nov 2007 · Points: 125

So all that dodgeball you played in elementary school finally paid off?

On a serious note, I'm glad no one was seriously hurt. It could have been a very ugly incident.

Gail Blauer · · Gardiner, NY · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,051

Wow, really terrible. I am so glad that no one was seriously hurt.

Rock fall in the Nears, rock fall in the Trapps...we need to be very viglilant. I was on Overhanging Layback on Friday, there was a lot of loose stuff on P2 (near the arête).

JamieG · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2014 · Points: 0

I was starting to second the first pitch of face to face when this happened. Three people were on the ground under no glow. The rock, maybe microwave or tv sized, smashed on the GT ledge about twenty feet right of my leader and sent big rocks and shrapnel down at us. I jumped down, got close to the rock, and covered. The other three got behind trees and ducked for cover. It's not clear if I was hit by a small rock or if I hit something as I came off the rock, but i ended up with a minor wound on my shin that only took 5 minutes or so to clean up and get the bleeding to stop.

I guess all is well that ends well, but this was pretty scary. There were softball sized rocks all over the ground and a few bigger ones. I'm amazed no was seriously injured.

lucander · · Stone Ridge, NY · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 260

Re: Overhanging Layback - about half of that second pitch is gonna go down sometime, do the route now before it doesn't exist.

rogerbenton · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 210

horrifying.

glad nobody was more seriously hurt.

there are so many unattached blocks up there.

as the general background/experience level of climbers shifts more towards "gym climbers getting into real rock" as opposed to "rock climbers using the gym to get stronger" these accidents will happen more frequently; it's easy to see how people who climb in gyms 95% of the time are used to taking it for granted that whatever they grab will be solid. as opposed to the experienced rock rat who is wary of these things at all times.

of course this is a huge generalization and i promise that i am not pointing fingers in the least (nor am i suggesting that i'm 'mr. experience')... but you know what i'm getting at.

keep a sharp eye out there...

Gail Blauer · · Gardiner, NY · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,051
JamieG wrote:It's not clear if I was hit by a small rock or if I hit something as I came off the rock, but i ended up with a minor wound on my shin that only took 5 minutes or so to clean up and get the bleeding to stop.
Glad to hear that you are ok! Very close call.

So far we have had spring rock fall at the Gunks, Birdsboro and Safe Harbor. Due to the unusually long winter/snow and ice?

Lucander...Once all that stuff comes off Overhanging layback maybe we will have a new climb. Not sure I want to get on it again, it was pretty sketchy.
Luc-514 · · Montreal, QC · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 12,506

People had 3 close calls near city lights on April 20th, rocks large enough to kill anyone without a helmet, no warnings...

Kevin Heckeler · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Jul 2010 · Points: 1,616
rogerbenton wrote:as the general background/experience level of climbers shifts more towards "gym climbers getting into real rock" as opposed to "rock climbers using the gym to get stronger" these accidents will happen more frequently; it's easy to see how people who climb in gyms 95% of the time are used to taking it for granted that whatever they grab will be solid. as opposed to the experienced rock rat who is wary of these things at all times.
No need to apologize. And I'll expound on this more at the risk of sounding like a dick.

Gym rats becoming "climbers" after dropping $1,000 at EMS is becoming more common. It IS a problem that no one has addressed, as many of these 11b plastic pullers think climbing is entirely the skill of being able to haul themselves up something, so they rarely ask for guidance and get defensive when you point out something they're blatantly doing wrong. The ability to ascend rock is only a small part of trad climbing. It's one of the reasons I like it.

[I went out several times with a guide and eventually climbing friends to learn the ropes before declaring myself trad worthy]

I've lost track how many times I've seen a newb walk up to some random 5.9 with their shiny new rack, hang dog their way up and leave a piece or more of gear stuck somewhere on it. And I only spend maybe half my climbing season at the gunks.

This needs to be said publicly so novices can get perspective before they do something stupid. There's many here on MP alone willing to bring new climbers along. It's not an absence of mentors, it's an attitude of invincibility or a terminal case of fullon Clavin among the students.

I've seen other near fatal (serious injury) newb related stuff elsewhere. People have and will continue to die from this stuff. Each one teach one.
PeterW Whitmore · · Dryden, NY · Joined Mar 2010 · Points: 50

The fact that a novice may have pulled this off is incidental. The rock in question was well camouflaged. I remember climbing No Glow the first time and rocking the stone an inch away from the wall, freaking out and gently pushing it back. I can't believe it stayed there as long as it did.

gtluke · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2012 · Points: 1

I had gotten off of updraft about an hour before this happened, heard it, scared the crap out of me.
I spoke with someone that was there, and said a guide actually knocked off the block.
They also nervously laughed about the dude who posted above hiding behind a sapling.
I'm confusing my own stories because now I talked to 2 groups, one at the top and one at the bottom who had to dive out of the way of the blocks.
Crazy, real glad nobody got hurt.

Joe M · · MA and NH · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 11,725

Could the rangers get involved with organized trundling of some of the more dangerous stuff?

divnamite · · New York, NY · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 90
Joe M. wrote:Could the rangers get involved with organized trundling of some of the more dangerous stuff?
I really hope not.
Joe M · · MA and NH · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 11,725
divnamite wrote: I really hope not.
Curious as to why you say no (not trying to start an argument, genuinely interested in your opinion)? With such a hugely popular area, a round of organized, safe trundling (do it on a weekday, close the area around the base, trundle from above, etc.) by the rangers might be in order, especially if it can save someone injury or worse...
divnamite · · New York, NY · Joined Aug 2007 · Points: 90
Joe M. wrote: Curious as to why you say no (not trying to start an argument, genuinely interested in your opinion)? With such a hugely popular area, a round of organized, safe trundling (do it on a weekday, close the area around the base, trundle from above, etc.) by the rangers might be in order, especially if it can save someone injury or worse...
You don't think this would be a Sisyphean task?

Joe M. wrote:especially if it can save someone injury or worse...
Should rangers check all the rappel anchors? What about making sure each climber is certified at trad climbing so their gear placement is correct? At what point do you stop? You see what I'm getting at.

Falling rock is simply part of the nature, even if we want to blame it on the newbie climbers in this case.
Gail Blauer · · Gardiner, NY · Joined Jul 2008 · Points: 1,051
PeterW wrote: I can't believe it stayed there as long as it did.
I have seen the rock over the years...I agree...it's hard to believe it lasted that long.

That's not the only suspect rock at the gunks (or any other climbing area).
Gunkiemike · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2009 · Points: 3,492
Joe M. wrote: Curious as to why you say no (not trying to start an argument, genuinely interested in your opinion)? With such a hugely popular area, a round of organized, safe trundling (do it on a weekday, close the area around the base, trundle from above, etc.) by the rangers might be in order, especially if it can save someone injury or worse...
It's a bad idea because rocks will still be knocked off, and if someone gets clobbered, lawyers are better at making it look like the Preserve was negligent by missing "an obvious hazard" than the rangers are at finding every possible loose flake and block.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northeastern States
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