Gunks rockfall around Beginner's Delight area

This afternoon I witnessed some rockfall coming from around the Beginner's Delight area. I am not quite sure what happened (would certainly like to know if anyone has any additional info), but I think the rockfall was initiated by someone using the Beginner's Delight rappels. No one was hurt, thankfully. However, the rockfall occurred two to three times...there was a large block that initially fell and then maybe 1 or 2 minutes later, another block fell. So I think the message here is that anyone in that area should exercise extreme caution because there might be a pile of loose blocks somewhere that are on the verge of coming down. Stay safe out there!

To climbers left of Beginners Delight is blueberry ledges. That route is seldom traveled, is dirty, and has a LOT of loose rock on ledges and such that can get kicked down or flipped off with a rap rope.

Honestly though it's about the same throughout the trapps. So keep your dome safe and wear a helmet, always.

We were at the top of Minty when all the rockfall occurred ~100 ft or so to our left (climber's left). I also recall the half-hearted "rock" yell at some point. Because it was so eerily quiet, I originally thought that the rockfall was not initiated by climbers. However, as we started the third pitch on Minty, I noticed a rope that I'm guessing was anchored to the Beginner's Delight rappel anchor. I haven't been on that route since the new bolted rap stations were created, so I'm not sure which anchor it was. So, yeah, it seems plausible that the trundling was deliberate, which is another reason why I'd be interested to know the story...

I've been hearing for years that there's dangerously perched blocks in the Peregrine area, an aftermath of the huge roof collapse there several years ago. Maybe someone finally decided they needed to go? Kinda BS to trundle on a fall weekend afternoon though IMO.

Gunkiemike wrote:I've been hearing for years that there's dangerously perched blocks in the Peregrine area, an aftermath of the huge roof collapse there several years ago. Maybe someone finally decided they needed to go? Kinda BS to trundle on a fall weekend afternoon though IMO.

The rockfall came from the Beginner's Delight/Blueberry Ledges area. cms829's idea about loose rock on Blueberry Ledges seems plausible.

There is a ledge below Beginner's Delight and above/to climber's right of where the Blueberry Ledge's line goes with a tree on it. I wound up off route and climbed to that ledge (instead of traversing all the way to the climber's left) while climbing Blueberry Ledge earlier this summer. There was a very large loose piece of the ledge that moved (and freaked the shit out of me) when I stepped on it. There was also a bunch of loose rock as I (delicately) made up the corner above that ledge to the Beginner's Delight ledge. I could see someone making the same mistake I did and knocking that piece off.