Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
Forum rules
Please be respectful when posting - family and friends of fallen climbers might be reading this forum.
Please be respectful when posting - family and friends of fallen climbers might be reading this forum.
- painless4u2
- Posts: 1298
- Joined: 7/14/2010
- 14ers: 58
- Trip Reports (8)
Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/envi ... 839ff.html
RIP
Does anyone know of him from the 14ers community?
RIP
Does anyone know of him from the 14ers community?
Bad decisions often make good stories.
IPAs + Ambien = "14ers" post (Bill M.)
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
IPAs + Ambien = "14ers" post (Bill M.)
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
- polar
- Posts: 1256
- Joined: 8/12/2013
- 14ers: 2
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
Cross posted to Mountain Project. While rappelling is technically easier than climbing, it is quite unthinkable how many climbers get hurt while rappelling. RIP Gary Falk.
"Getting to the bottom, OPTIONAL. Getting to the top, MANDATORY!" - The Wisest Trail Sign
-
- Posts: 15
- Joined: 7/10/2007
- 14ers: 38
- 13ers: 1
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
I had the privilege of climbing with Gary in 2012. Some friends and I did Exum's two day climb of the Grand, and Gary was our lead guide. He was the essence of the professional guide - highly skilled, patient, courteous, thoughtful, and a great teacher. Every word and every action screamed competence. In addition, Gary was just a great guy. He made everyone on our trip feel important, and we all enjoyed the chance we had to get to know him. We summited early on day 2, returned to the saddle, loaded up and headed down to the trailhead. We offered to buy drinks at Dornan's (a bar/restaurant inside the park about a 10 min drive from the trailhead), and Gary was kind enough to take us up on it. We had some drinks, swapped stories and watched the afternoon clouds move in over the Grand. Gary had to head out after about an hour, and that's the last time I saw him. I didn't know Gary well or for long but he left a permanent impression on me and countless others. Rest in peace, friend.
Mason
Mason
- SnowAlien
- Posts: 1758
- Joined: 11/3/2010
- 14ers: 58 57 58
- 13ers: 653 119 15
- Trip Reports (111)
- Contact:
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
Darn, RIP Gary. Some serious credentials, IFMGA guide.
http://exumguides.com/gary-falk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://mtnguide.net/about-us/guides/gary-falk-bio/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://exumguides.com/gary-falk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://mtnguide.net/about-us/guides/gary-falk-bio/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
- 14erFred
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: 7/15/2009
- 14ers: 51
- 13ers: 1
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
Prayers of comfort and strength for Gary's family and friends. May he rest in peace forever, and may his memory always be a blessing.
"Live as on a mountain." -- Marcus Aurelius
- polar
- Posts: 1256
- Joined: 8/12/2013
- 14ers: 2
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
A bit more detail on the accident.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/cops ... 12d2c.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/news/cops ... 12d2c.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Getting to the bottom, OPTIONAL. Getting to the top, MANDATORY!" - The Wisest Trail Sign
- JChitwood
- Posts: 625
- Joined: 8/29/2011
- 14ers: 58
- 13ers: 51
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
I have not climbed the Grand but have seen it many times and know it is steep, but can you really fall 2,400 feet?
"I'll make it." - Jimmy Chitwood
- atalarico
- Posts: 542
- Joined: 9/20/2009
- 14ers: 16 2
- 13ers: 22
- Trip Reports (5)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
RIP. What a sad loss for the climbing community. I hope is family will be well supported.
The Grand is certainly no ordinary 13'er, and it shut down me and my climbing partner's car-to-car attempt last August around the Belly Crawl on O/S (weather). We're both very competent climbers with a decent enough alpine climbing resume (e.g. the Diamond, Sharsktooth, Snave/Evans, etc.) and the exposure was enough for both of us to get our palms sweaty.
Yes...to say the routes on the Grand have "exposure" is a slight understatement. The area where he fell from the rappel is above the gradually sloping ledge start of the Owen-Spalding route. If you fell on to that, and then kept going, you'd go right down the Black Ice Couloir, which is every bit as mean and nasty as it sounds.JChitwood wrote:I have not climbed the Grand but have seen it many times and know it is steep, but can you really fall 2,400 feet?
The Grand is certainly no ordinary 13'er, and it shut down me and my climbing partner's car-to-car attempt last August around the Belly Crawl on O/S (weather). We're both very competent climbers with a decent enough alpine climbing resume (e.g. the Diamond, Sharsktooth, Snave/Evans, etc.) and the exposure was enough for both of us to get our palms sweaty.
- LetsGoMets
- Posts: 394
- Joined: 9/9/2012
- 14ers: 58 5
- 13ers: 132 6
- Trip Reports (2)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
Myself and 4 others summited on Tuesday, and were pitching our tents on the lower saddle when the helicopters were in the area. When we got some cell service later in the day, and finally found out who the guide was, it turned out he had guided one of my party members up Rainier a few years back. He had nothing but spectacular things to say about him.
Anyone would fall 2400+ feet from the rap station where he unclipped from if they started sliding down the slope. We took the Upper Exum Ridge up, but the entire upper mountain harbors extreme exposure on all on sides.
RIP Gary.
Anyone would fall 2400+ feet from the rap station where he unclipped from if they started sliding down the slope. We took the Upper Exum Ridge up, but the entire upper mountain harbors extreme exposure on all on sides.
RIP Gary.
-
- Posts: 114
- Joined: 6/7/2010
- 14ers: 58
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
I think the elevation gain is on the order of 7500 feet, you are looking down several thousand feet at airplanes touring the valley from the top.JChitwood wrote:I have not climbed the Grand but have seen it many times and know it is steep, but can you really fall 2,400 feet?
- polar
- Posts: 1256
- Joined: 8/12/2013
- 14ers: 2
- Trip Reports (1)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
http://www.wyofile.com/mountain-guide-d ... exum-fine/
This was posted over on Mountain Project, but I just remembered it was posted here as well. Initially, it was believed that Gary Falk unclipped himself from the anchor in an attempt to unstuck the rope and belay device. But accident investigation revealed that his tether to the anchor, which was a section of webbing tied with a water knot, failed. The water knot came untied as Gary leaned out from the anchor to unstuck the rope. It goes to show that speculations right after an accident, even by eye witnesses, may not be entirely accurate.
This was posted over on Mountain Project, but I just remembered it was posted here as well. Initially, it was believed that Gary Falk unclipped himself from the anchor in an attempt to unstuck the rope and belay device. But accident investigation revealed that his tether to the anchor, which was a section of webbing tied with a water knot, failed. The water knot came untied as Gary leaned out from the anchor to unstuck the rope. It goes to show that speculations right after an accident, even by eye witnesses, may not be entirely accurate.
"Getting to the bottom, OPTIONAL. Getting to the top, MANDATORY!" - The Wisest Trail Sign
- FireOnTheMountain
- Posts: 1181
- Joined: 2/28/2011
- 14ers: 53 1 23
- 13ers: 269 29
- Trip Reports (23)
Re: Gary Falk, Exum guide, dies in fall
I've never seen a self tied tether as in why wouldnt he have used a closed loop piece of webbing girth hitched. Just curious. Super sad.
Everyday is a G r A t E f U L Day here in the ID...?