Two climbers die on Grand Teton
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
By Sam Petri
JACKSON HOLE, .WY. – Grand Teton National Park officials recovered the bodies of
Alan Rooney, 38, and Jonathan Morrow, 28, both of Kelly, Wyo., near the base of
the northwest side of the Grand Teton on Tuesday.
The two climbers, roped together, fell to their death from
the Valhalla Traverse sometime Sunday, April 29, on their way to climb the
Enclosure Couloir, according to a Grand Teton National Park Press Release.
Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received a call at 8:20
a.m. Monday, April 30, after the two climbers didn’t show up for work on time.
Soon after, park rangers learned of a tent located in the Meadows area of
Garnet Canyon, a popular staging area for Teton ascents, that presumably belonged
to the climbers. Rangers skied into the Meadows late Monday afternoon where
they found the tent vacant. They pushed on, towards the area of the Enclosure
Couloir, following the missing climbers’ presumed route, and bivouacked
overnight on top of the Lower Saddle.
At about 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 1, rescue personnel
spotted one body below the Valhalla Traverse. A second body was spotted an hour
later from a reconnaissance helicopter. Park rangers were able to extract the
bodies late Tuesday afternoon with the assistance of the helicopter.
The accident remains under investigation.
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Two climbers die on Grand Teton | Planet JH News Article: General News
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