Two elite climbers fell to their deaths on Saturday while ascending El Capitan, one of the best-known rock formations in Yosemite National Park in California. The climbers, Jason Wells, 45, of Boulder, Colo., and Tim Klein, 42, of Palmdale, Calif., were scaling the Free Blast route on the granite monolith El Capitan when they fell around 8:15 a.m., the National Park Service said in a statement. The climbers were tethered together, said Stefan Griebel, a climber who has ascended El Capitan with Mr. Klein and Mr. Wells in the past. Yosemite National Park rangers received several 911 calls and rescuers responded but the climbers did not survive the fall, the statement said. El Capitan, a flat-topped cliff that looms more than 3,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley, is a favorite of rock climbers. During the park’s peak season as many as 80 people may be on the rock formation on any given day, said Ken Yager, president of the. The climbers who fell were “very experienced,” he said, adding: “Something weird happened. There’s no doubt in my mind.” The Free Blast route that Mr. Wells and Mr.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |