Rock climber falls to his death at Devils Tower, leaving partner stranded – National Achi-News

A rock climber climbing Wyoming’s Devils Tower National Monument fell to his death last weekend, leaving his partner stranded on a dangerous pitch.

A news release from the National Park Service (NPS) said the duo were climbing the popular geological feature when one fell while rappelling the second pitch of El Cracko Diablo.

When police arrived at the scene, the man, who was identified as 21-year-old Stewart Phillip Porter of Eau Claire, Wisc., was pronounced dead.

Rick Strasser, a ranger with the NPS, told the Casper Star-Tribune about the incident: “There was no lack of equipment at all, but it was rapping.”

Porter’s climbing partner, who was not identified, was trapped and subsequently rescued from the Tower wall with the help of Devils Tower Lodge Climbing Guides and Buck Wild Climbing Guides, the agency said.

While climbing fatalities at Devils Tower are “rare,” the NPS said, it is still “inherently dangerous.”

In the more than 100 years people have been climbing the landmark, only seven deaths have been reported.

The NPS website describes the Devil’s Tower Monument as “a stunning geologic feature that juts out of the prairie surrounding the Black Hills. It is considered sacred by the Northern Plains Indians and indigenous peoples. “

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He also cites the Tower’s abundance of parallel cracks that make it so popular in the rock climbing community, but cautions that he does not test or maintain anchors on the climbing routes.

“The majority of climbing accidents and deaths on the Tower occur during the rappel. Anchors are not maintained by the National Park Service – inspect all anchors and support them if necessary. Make sure you know the location of your rappel route before you start,” officials said.

“Start rappels over the nose of columns to prevent ropes from jamming in cracks. Avoid knocking loose rocks onto climbers below. Many rappels require two ropes; know the distance of your intended rappel before starting.”

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