CAI Community|A popular climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed due to a crack in a granite cliff

2025-04-30 09:40:19source:Chameleon Financecategory:Finance

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK,CAI Community Calif. (AP) — A popular rock climbing area in Yosemite National Park has been closed because of a crack that has developed in a massive granite cliff.

Climbers recently reported the new crack on the western side of the Royal Arches formation near a climbing route called Super Slide, according to the park’s website.

“Subsequent investigation revealed that this crack has partially detached a large pillar of rock, and that cracking was actively occurring,” the website said.

An area including several climbing routes was closed Aug. 30. A short section of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail was also closed, with a detour established.

Yosemite experiences many rockfalls caused by natural processes every year, according to the National Park Service.

Arcs across the cliff face that gave Royal Arches its name are caused by a type of weathering called exfoliation which causes slabs of granite to fall away. Other famous Yosemite landforms such as Half Dome were also created by the process.

More:Finance

Recommend

How 23andMe's bankruptcy led to a run on the gene bank

Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi's Aunt Vovi signed up for 23andMe back in 2017, hoping to learn more a

Justice Dept will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, sources say

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug

2-year-old boy killed while playing in bounce house swept up by strong winds in Arizona

A 2-year-old boy died while playing in a bounce house that was swept up by a powerful wind gust in s