Alcove Swing condition?

Just wondering if anyone knows the current condition of the Alcove Swing on El Cap?

Rope wasn't up as of Saturday (6/18).

Anybody have an update on the swing?

My guess is it isn't up or is in a condition you don't want to trust. If you are going to Yosemite regardless it's a 10 minute hike to it if you want to check.

It's illegal to set up now.

It always has been illegal to set up fixed lines and leave them unattended, is there some new regulation as well?

T-rack wrote:It's illegal to set up now.

No, its always been illegal. They are cracking down, and the only way you will get to swing on it is if you can nail steep A3

It's always been illegal? Well, yes, but so were the fixed lines Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson left from bottom to top on the Dawn Wall, for two months a year for many years, so are the East Ledges fixed lines - which are routinely used by the NPS and SAR, etc. In short, the fixed line rule is rarely enforced......except with the Alcove Swing. Totally silly waste of tax payers money to chase rope swingers - there are enough real issues that need help in Yosemite!

yeah, like people grid bolting with power drills.

Erik Sloan wrote:

Not so much, Erik. I seem to recall hearing that some idiots put 4 guys on the swing and core-shot the rope nearly leading to 4 fatalities?

Pretty sure the idiot factor to a readily accessible fixed rope means it is down and should stay down.

With all the climbing challenges that Yosemite offers, it's kind of sad to see these amusement park rides crop up. 

The four people at once story is not serious - like climbers don't do crazy shit on the cliffs all the time? For that matter a kid died driving out of the tunnel last winter, and there was a local guy that died at the class zero take out for the rafts at sentinel beach last spring, or wait, didn't four people die in auto collisions related to playing the game the day that Pokeman was released......risks are risks. The fact is the rangers are off all winter and are down at the Cookie, Arch, USGS Wall mini-traxioning fixed ropes, and then turning around and saying that some fixed ropes are bad. Silly. I've climbed El Cap 100 times and I can tell you that that swing isn't hurting anyone - but it is getting a lot of folks to hike up to El Cap and check out the Alcove. 

Erik Sloan wrote:

The four people at once story is not serious - like climbers don't do crazy shit on the cliffs all the time? For that matter a kid died driving out of the tunnel last winter, and there was a local guy that died at the class zero take out for the rafts at sentinel beach last spring, or wait, didn't four people die in auto collisions related to playing the game the day that Pokeman was released......risks are risks. The fact is the rangers are off all winter and are down at the Cookie, Arch, USGS Wall mini-traxioning fixed ropes, and then turning around and saying that some fixed ropes are bad. Silly. I've climbed El Cap 100 times and I can tell you that that swing isn't hurting anyone - but it is getting a lot of folks to hike up to El Cap and check out the Alcove. 

Erik all that you mention are false equivalencies. 

A rope swing for tourists, put up by climbers, does not belong in Yosemite. People utterly ignorant of the risks used the rope swing.

Fixed rope for climbers, put up and used by climbers is totally different. They are fully aware (or should be) of the risks to use them and can proceed (foolishly) at their own peril.

Not the same.

And yea, climbers do stupid stuff all the time, but the forums are not the place to encourage them.

Alex Honnold did the rope swing with no harness or clip in and posted it on Youtube. I'm promoting irresponsibility? No way - everytime I do it I have a harness and grigri on. Marketed to tourists? You're crazy - they won't even walk to the base of the Nose, let alone the Alcove. The Swing has and always will be a something for and maintained by climbers - just like all the other fixed lines in Yosemite. 

Is the alcove swing up? If not what, where do I need to go to set it up?

Aaron McBrearty wrote:

Is the alcove swing up? If not what, where do I need to go to set it up?

South Seas, anchor at P1 or P3 - never use the P2 anchors for the swing (sharp, rope cutting edges). Some have suggested the P2 anchors of Atlantis.

From the MP description of South Seas:

The South Seas is an incredibly steep and classic 10 pitch start to the Pacific Ocean Wall. The first few pitches are the steepest on the whole route and climb straight out of the alcove. The subjective/brief description below is based upon my recent experience climbing the route.
 
P1: Super steep with good placements and interesting climbing right off the ground (A2+ or C3ish, ~160')
 
P2: Still super steep with lots of funky fixed gear. This was a short pitch (A2+F, ~70')
 
P3: A few easy free moves off the belay lead to easy aid up a ramp (5.8, C2 or A1, ~150')

'Some have suggested the P2 anchor of Atlantis'.........you guys crack me up. The rope swing is set up off the P2 anchor of Atlantis (until 2008 it was set up off the P1 anchor of South Seas, but that sucked in many ways compared to the Atlantis anchor). Most folks set it up by climbing to the P3 anchor of South Seas, and rapping 40' down to the P2 Atlantis anchor, though I don't know how much faster that is than just climbing the P2 of Atlantis (newer route, so slower than South Seas). The P3 anchor of South Seas has a decent edge/ledge right below, that folks climbing that route have to put padding on, so definitely not a good spot for a swing anchor.

The best way to maintain the swing would be to drill a bolt ladder up a blank section of the alcove to the P2 Atlantis anchor. That way the swing could be easily set up, and maintained.  The NPS has said that that is legal and all good, it's just 220' of overhanging rock so hard to organize a drilling party that far (Warren Harding famously driled for days, but he used way smaller bolts than we do now, so to put the big bolts we're used to in the bolt ladder would take a while).. 

Erik Sloan wrote:

The best way to maintain the swing would be to drill a bolt ladder up a blank section of the alcove to the P2 Atlantis anchor. That way the swing could be easily set up, and maintained. ... Warren Harding famously driled for days... 

I think this sounds disrespectful to El Cap (sacred healing rock) and is not in line with traditional climbing ethics. The way I see it, Warren Harding is famous because he drilled holes (sparingly) to create things no one thought was possible and a bolt ladder to the top of the alcove (existing climbing routes) for the purpose of a rope swing is far from the same thing. If someone were to do this, would we look back and say they did so "famously"? Why or why not? Some things are fun because they are not easy. It is up to each of us as individuals to respect the mountain whether we are climbing it, dicking around with gri gri's at the base, or watching from the meadow.

Not intending to call you out directly Erik, just making sure other opinions are on here, too. Don't compare this bolt ladder to other situations and things other people have done in the past. Now is the time! I should be outside. Peace & love, see you soon!!!!!!

Erik Sloan wrote:

'Some have suggested the P2 anchor of Atlantis'.........you guys crack me up. The rope swing is set up off the P2 anchor of Atlantis (until 2008 it was set up off the P1 anchor of South Seas, but that sucked in many ways compared to the Atlantis anchor). Most folks set it up by climbing to the P3 anchor of South Seas, and rapping 40' down to the P2 Atlantis anchor, though I don't know how much faster that is than just climbing the P2 of Atlantis (newer route, so slower than South Seas). The P3 anchor of South Seas has a decent edge/ledge right below, that folks climbing that route have to put padding on, so definitely not a good spot for a swing anchor.

The best way to maintain the swing would be to drill a bolt ladder up a blank section of the alcove to the P2 Atlantis anchor. That way the swing could be easily set up, and maintained.  The NPS has said that that is legal and all good, it's just 220' of overhanging rock so hard to organize a drilling party that far (Warren Harding famously driled for days, but he used way smaller bolts than we do now, so to put the big bolts we're used to in the bolt ladder would take a while).. 

Perfect! Maybe you can do this service since you have extensive experience drilling un-needed and un-wanted bolt ladders?

Erik Sloan wrote: