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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 23, 2016 - 09:35pm PT
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Per Jackson Hole News and Guide:
Gary Falk, 42, was guiding a group of clients down from a successful ascent of the park's highest pea when he fell about 2,400 feet from the top of the Owen-Spalding rappell into Valhalla Canyon near the Black Ice Couloir.
Teton Interagency Dispatch received a call at about 10:30 a.m. that someone had fallen and was believed to be seriously or fatally injured. Grand Teton National Park's helicopter flew two rangers into a point nearby, and they hiked to the scene, where they determined a recovery effort should be initiated. Falk's body was recovered via helicopter long line and Teton County Coroner Brent Blue declared Falk deceased this afternoon.
Another Exum guide assisted the clients with their descent.
Ouray, Colorado, native Falk has been working for Exum for 12 years. He has a wife and two young sons.
Exum President and co-owner Nat Patridge said the guiding community was "devasted" by his loss.
“Gary was a diligent guide, always the consummate professional," Patridge said. "Exum is grieving from this news and struggling to comprehend the situation. ... Our love goes out to Kate and their sons."
All planned Exum operations were ceased for Sunday in honor of Falk.
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phylp
Trad climber
Upland, CA
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Jul 23, 2016 - 10:31pm PT
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Thank you for the report, Peter.
Awful accident.
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BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
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Jul 23, 2016 - 11:46pm PT
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Terrible.
My sincere condolences to Gary's wife and boys.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Jul 24, 2016 - 04:03am PT
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Very sad
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norm larson
climber
wilson, wyoming
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Jul 24, 2016 - 04:16am PT
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Terrible news. Condolences to all who knew Gary.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Jul 24, 2016 - 06:30am PT
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Condolences to his wife and children and friends.
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Fritz
Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Jul 24, 2016 - 06:46am PT
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A tragic occurance. My condolences to family & friends.
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crankster
Trad climber
No. Tahoe
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Jul 24, 2016 - 07:15am PT
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Terrible news. Thoughts and prayers to family and friends.
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Jul 24, 2016 - 07:16am PT
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Sad, I am so sorry for his wife and kids.
God speed.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Jul 24, 2016 - 07:48am PT
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My sincere condolences to all of Gary's family and friends.
Sad.
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Brokedownclimber
Trad climber
Douglas, WY
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Jul 24, 2016 - 07:55am PT
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My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.
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skcreidc
Social climber
SD, CA
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Jul 24, 2016 - 08:03am PT
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Couldn't have said it better Cragman. My sincere condolences to the friends and family.
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Happy Cowboy
Social climber
Boz MT
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Jul 24, 2016 - 08:10am PT
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Horrible news, so sad. That area is hard on guides. I reminisce the mid to late 70's when two of my best friend/guides suffered severe accidents in the Garnet arena. Tom Raymer while descending from Upper Saddle, and Glenn Milner killed on Tepee Pillar.
My deepest condolences go out to Gary's family and friends.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Jul 24, 2016 - 10:59am PT
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Very sad.
Kim Schmitz was almost killed there guiding as well, right?
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Bad Climber
Trad climber
The Lawless Border Regions
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Jul 24, 2016 - 11:32am PT
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So sad. Sincere condolences to the family and friends. This can happen to any of us, moving around unroped on easy terrain. We all do it. I was unroped at that very spot myself. One false step.
BAd
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, CA
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Jul 24, 2016 - 12:09pm PT
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God bless him.
Really sucks though.
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Fossil climber
Trad climber
Atlin, B. C.
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Jul 24, 2016 - 01:28pm PT
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Terribly sorry to hear this - especially for family. Makes you realize again how ephemeral life can be.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Jul 24, 2016 - 01:34pm PT
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Terribly sad and scary.
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Anxious Melancholy
Mountain climber
Between the Depths of Despair & Heights of Folly
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Jul 24, 2016 - 03:03pm PT
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Stunned.
I just slunk out of the Winds this morning and I'm now camped in Gros Ventre. I'm looking up at the spectacular Grand, Owens, and Teewinot with fond memories, yet this tragic news casts deep shadows on my thoughts of past and future Teton adventures.
The mountains do, indeed, call me. And terrorize me. For all their sublime beauty and jagged eloquence, there lurks an unresting and lethal force. Yet how can I resist their temptations?
May Gary's family and friend's hold each other tightly with love. May fond memories help them weather this storm. May mountain light shine brightly and cast the shadows from their path.
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Matt's
climber
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Jul 24, 2016 - 08:34pm PT
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Did the grand the day before (Friday), and descended the OS route. I was thinking about how, for such a non technical route, the guide and client were exposed to a lot of objective risk (mostly shitty rock and changing weather).
Rip.
Matt
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