Flight of the Valkyries

[Dom]

Hey, So I was climbing at CL yesterday and I had intentions to finally step up and try to onsight Flight of the Valkyries(FOTV). I warmed up on Cheekbone corner and was looking at FOTV from the top and it looked like there is a massive block that detached from the climb( massive white patch underneath the overhang at the top). I'm not sure this is the case though as I have never been on it before.
Upon my arrival at the base of the climb, the ground was littered with what seemed like fresh rock fall. I backed off and opted for Wisecrack instead (awesome!, a little soft for 10d...).

So my question to those who have been on FOTV, was this always like this or did something come off?
Did anyone climb it this summer since the Peregrine closure?

I think the guidebook says something about a Death block??

[STeveA]

The blocks in question are the reason why the Amphitheatre saw little action until about 1983. There were 2 massive blocks detached from the cliff resting on each other. They fell down in the winter (about 1983ish) and destroyed trees and the boulder field. The blocks made it all the way to the woods at the edge of the boulder field. Nothing big is up there or has come down since, however there was a lot of smaller loose rocks t the top of the climb which may have made their way down recently.

[Dom]

Thanks Steve!

I guess nobody has climbed it this summer??

[Fred]

The death block mentioned in the FOV route description is only a couple feet across. It's located after the first vertical crack crux and before you reach the big ledge mid height on the route. It's a sort of detached flake that 'wiggles' but from what I hear people have tried to remove it with a crowbar and were unsuccessful. If memory serves me right, you can climb the route without pulling on the bloc.

[Matt Peck]

but where's the fun in that?