Yosemite National Park’s popular rock climbing spot has been closed due to a crack that has grown in a huge granite cliff.
According to the park’s website, climbers have recently reported a new crack near the climbing route Super Slide on the western side of the Royal Arches formation.
According to the website, “subsequent investigation revealed that cracking was actively occurring and that this crack has partially detached a large pillar of rock.
On August 30, a location with a number of climbing routes was closed. A detour was set up for a brief section of the Yosemite Valley Loop Trail that was also closed.
The National Park Service reports that Yosemite experiences numerous rockfalls annually that are brought on by natural processes.
Exfoliation, a form of weathering that results in the removal of granite slabs, is what creates the arcs across the cliff face that gave Royal Arches its name.
The process also led to the formation of other well-known Yosemite landforms, including Half Dome.
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