YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, 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.

Last week a 200-foot hand crack appeared overnight near Yosemite’s Royal Arches cliff. The splitter was quickly climbed and named “Super Natural” before park officials closed the classic area.

The 1980s and 1990s were marked by the rise of free-climbing, where climbers used ropes only for protection, not for upward movement. In 1993, Lynn Hill redefined the possibilities of Yosemite ...

Astroman is one of Yosemite Valley’s legendary climbs and one of the most famous in the world. It is located on the East Face of Washington Column, way down in the valley, right in front of Half Dome.

A climbing instructor fell to his death on Yosemite’s El Captain, according to a report, marking the latest accident on the iconic rock peak that is a favorite among rock climbers.