If a Rock Falls in a Park ...

If a rock falls down a cliff, who is responsible? In 1999, a rock climber in Yosemite National Park died when he was hit by falling rock. His parents have filed a $10 million dollar claim against the Park Service. WHAT? Seems like a joke, right? Well, NPS agree, and they are seeking to drop the lawsuit. One of the best things about our wild parks, is the opportunity to be wild in it! You can't hang a sign on every cliff warning people of the obvious danger. You can't put a fence around every hazard. The Parks do what they can to protect us from ourselves, but, at some point, the adventure is our own. Proceed at your own risk!

A little more info on rock climbing at Yosemite from The Friends of Yosemite Search and Rescue:

• 51 climbers died from traumatic injuries between 1970 and 1990.
• It's estimated that there are 25,000 to 50,000 climber-days annually.
• 10% of all injuries are associated with rockfall, including six deaths and one permanent disability.
• 14 climbers were killed and two critically injured while deliberately unroped.

Park link: Climbing Yosemite