Nearly 2,000 feet straight down (part 2)
My apologies for the quality of this zoomed photo. I decided to post it because it tells part of a story. Blur on this narrow ledge is a climber attempting to scale this 2,000 foot vertical granite wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. He had started before the weather turned nasty and was waiting it out on a very narrow ledge. A park ranger told me that is typically takes two days to make this ascent which is taller than half dome in Yosemite N.P. About 200 climbers register each autumn and each spring, the seasons most suited for this adventure. Climbers have died attempting this feat.
If you view the part 1 photo on "original", two approximately parallel white lines (sills) can be seen on the bottom right portion of the wall. The climber has stalled on the top of these features and a white item of his equipment is visible. You must look very closely. The immensity of the wall becomes apparent.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a destination that offers vast opportunities to advanced rock climbers. The wall shown here is higher than the most famous climb of half dome at Yosemite National Park.
The canyon is extremely deep and narrow. The depth of the canyon at Warner Point (the deepest section of canyon) is 2,722 ft. The Painted Wall is the tallest vertical wall in the state of Colorado with a height of 2,250 ft. In the area of the North and South Chasm Walls, where the majority of the climbing activity takes place, the depth of the canyon is 1,820 ft. The canyon is at its narrowest point in the Chasm View area, with a rim to rim distance of 1,100 ft.
Nearly 2,000 feet straight down (part 2)
My apologies for the quality of this zoomed photo. I decided to post it because it tells part of a story. Blur on this narrow ledge is a climber attempting to scale this 2,000 foot vertical granite wall at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. He had started before the weather turned nasty and was waiting it out on a very narrow ledge. A park ranger told me that is typically takes two days to make this ascent which is taller than half dome in Yosemite N.P. About 200 climbers register each autumn and each spring, the seasons most suited for this adventure. Climbers have died attempting this feat.
If you view the part 1 photo on "original", two approximately parallel white lines (sills) can be seen on the bottom right portion of the wall. The climber has stalled on the top of these features and a white item of his equipment is visible. You must look very closely. The immensity of the wall becomes apparent.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a destination that offers vast opportunities to advanced rock climbers. The wall shown here is higher than the most famous climb of half dome at Yosemite National Park.
The canyon is extremely deep and narrow. The depth of the canyon at Warner Point (the deepest section of canyon) is 2,722 ft. The Painted Wall is the tallest vertical wall in the state of Colorado with a height of 2,250 ft. In the area of the North and South Chasm Walls, where the majority of the climbing activity takes place, the depth of the canyon is 1,820 ft. The canyon is at its narrowest point in the Chasm View area, with a rim to rim distance of 1,100 ft.