Free Republic

Rescuers were called around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday to Tahquitz Rock near Idyllwild following a distress call, the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said on Twitter. A team managed to climb into the steep, remote area and found both the climbers dead at the scene, the department said. While one climber remains unidentified, multiple reports and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department have identified the other climber as Long Beach firefighter and former NFL player Gavin Escobar. Tahquitz Rock, with its steep granite cliffs, is a popular destination for climbers. Two climbers from Los Angeles fell 200 feet (60 meters) to their...

The second climber to die in Joshua Tree National Park this year has been identified by a witness as an experienced climber named Tina Fiori. Fiori died Saturday afternoon following an 80-foot-fall while rock climbing. Tina Lynn Fiori was 51 years old and a resident of Riverside County. Himmelstein said the group was "top roping," a method of climbing that involves stringing a rope through a permanent anchor system at the top of the climb. The rope acts as a safety mechanism that supports a climber's weight if they fall. A second person assists gathering slack at the bottom of...

He developed the idea in the early 1970s on expeditions to the Franconian Jura mountains, when he would paint a red “x” on each piton he could avoid using for a foot- or handhold. Once he was able to complete a route avoiding all of them, he would paint a red dot at the base of the climb so that others could have a go. Albert’s “redpoints” sparked the development of the sport climbing movement and the term “redpoint” is used as a measure of performance.... A turning point in his life came in 1973 during a trip to the...

Amazing Speed Rock Climbing

WARNING Nature is unpredictable and unsafe. Mountains are dangerous. Many books have been written about these dangers, and there's no way we can list them all here. Read the books. Nelson Rocks Preserve is covered in steep terrain with loose, slippery and unstable footing. The weather can make matters worse. Sheer drops are everywhere. You may fall, be injured or die. There are hidden holes. You could break your leg. There are wild animals, which may be vicious, poisonous or carriers of dread diseases. These include poisonous snakes and insects. Plants can be poisonous as well. We don't do anything...

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. he will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isnt always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (dont spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting stategies (adults, not kids, are...

<p>RENO, Nev. (AP) - Rock climbing will be banned at a popular site at Lake Tahoe under a new management plan announced by the U.S. Forest Service.</p> <p>The decision released Thursday said Cave Rock - a volcanic formation held sacred by the Washoe Tribe - is a cultural resource worthy of protection.</p>