Welcome to the Exum Guide Service and School of Mountaineering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Dont knowingly lie about anyone or Discovery Company. One of the most prolific Exum mountain guides died Saturday evening while solo climbing a route on the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. racist or sexually-oriented language. Sign up to receive a daily e-newsletter with a selection of local, state and regional news headlines from theJackson Hole Daily. Contact him at angus@wyofile.com or (307) As the oldest guide service in North America, Exum has guided in the Tetons for over 90 years. You have permission to edit this article. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of healthcare and wellness news from theJackson Hole News&Guide. Mary Harlan, a close family friend and part-time instructor with Aspen Alpine Guides, recalls Falks adventurous, child-like spirit. For that application 1/2 inch would be scary but 9/16 is perfectly appropriate and used by climbers on a regular basis without incident. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments. Turner said it was a natural thing to do and that Gardner had guided the route and climbed it before, alone and without a rope. My condolences to Mr. Falks family. In the event of an injury, we will share any medical information you have provided with appropriate medical personnel providing care. Guides are human. Your real name will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more! A teacher, he was known for the Himalaya semester he taught for Sterling College in Vermont. Investigators may never know for sure why 58-year old George Gardner, a climbing guide with nearly three decades of experience, fell to his death while free soloing a route in Grand Teton National Park that was well within his capabilities. During the winter he was a popular teacher at various schools and at Sterling College. In addition to Turner's writing efforts and executive position in Exum Mountain Guides, he frequently appears on the company . [E]vidence and witness statements suggest that he was using a 98 inch section of 9/16 [inch] blue tubular webbing tied in a loop with a water knot to tether himself to the anchor and that the knot came untied during his attempts to free the stuck rappel device, the park report said. He had several operations and largely withdrew from guiding and climbing. "It was perfect weather. After the chaperone rappelled, Falk planned to retrieve one of the devices with the belay rope. But because of a last-minute re-arrangement of climbing teams, Falk found himself one ATC short. I always thought of Gary as a rock, a constant. Pretty sure Gary was just using the webbing to support body weight. Very informative and useful report. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same. Even if that equipment had been inspected, that may not have had any bearing on this incident, he said. Guides and clients went to sleep as the headlamp party descended. our own way, be vulnerable and grow.. There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. 25% Off Outside+. The Exum Mountain Guide company says Gary Falk, 42, a native of Ouray, Colo., was leading a group down from a successful ascent of Grand Teton National Park's highest peak when he fell at 10:30 a.m. Saturday about 2,400 feet from the top of the Owen-Spalding rappel into Valhalla Canyon near the Black Ice Couloir, the Jackson Hole News & Guide the ledge. God bless his family and co-workers, this is a terrible loss for the community and I offer my sincere condolences. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of economic and business news from theJackson Hole News&Guide. Fred Beckey and the Improbable Ascent of Mount Waddington. Change your default forum handle here! 2023 Exum Mountain Guides - All Rights Reserved. "Exum is grieving from this news and struggling to comprehend the situation. It is for accessory use only and should never be used for life support! The guide service agreed to review annually the personal safety gear that climbing guides use and document that inspection, according to recently released OSHA documents. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of outdoors, sports and recreation news from theJackson Hole News&Guide. Invalid password or account does not exist. He was not guiding clients at the time of the fall, said Jack Turner, Exum Mountain Guides president. George often mentioned that his mentor at Exum was the legendary climber, Chuck Pratt and it was suggested that it would be appropriate to have something of Chucks included in Georges cremation. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. Mr. Exum is survived by his wife, the former Beth Pauline Noben; his son, Edward, of Denver; and his daughter, Glenda of Wyoming. Exum Mountain Guides began selling 1999 trips up the Grand Teton in January and were sold out by mid-February. Be proactive. The water knot, also known as a ring bend or an overhand follow-through bend, may still have a place in mountaineering, despite its flaws. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of trending local news headlines from the Jackson Hole News&Guide. death while guiding four clients on Wyomings Grand Teton. He had taught music at a high school in Pocatello, Idaho. He was one of the most smiley guys you ever saw.. Band launch 1st tour in 6 years, Capt. Grand Teton climbing rangers examined Falks gear after they retrieved his body and found the 98-inch webbing still attached to the guides harness with a hitch knot. Turner said it was a natural thing to do and that Gardner had guided the route and climbed it before, alone and without a rope. guides with clients up on the Grand. Wed love to hear eyewitness But the rope and ATC got stuck in a crack on the way up. They referenced studies one 17 years old that focused on the tendency of water knots to slip and fail when the tails are of inadequate length and when the knots are cyclically loaded and unloaded. Investigators found photographs from the climb that showed Falks water knot in which one tail is visible and is of adequate length but the knot is not tightened. They described a sequence of his activities before the accident during which the tether would have been loaded, or pulled on, and unloaded. Falk fell approximately 2,400 feet from the Owen-Spalding Rappel into Valhalla Canyon, near the Black Ice Couloir. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, An Exum mountain guide perished Saturday in Grand Teton National Park while leading a group of clients down the Grand Teton after completing a successful summit bid. He had been guiding with Exum for 17 years and had been a professional for 28. He has a wife and two young sons. "That signaled to us something was wrong," Turner said. According to Debbie Germann, Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman, as quoted in the Jackson Hole Daily, the accident occurred the morning of Saturday, July 23. Angus M. Thuermer Jr. is the natural resources reporter for WyoFile. page set up by others. Climbers use them for a variety of tasks, including tying webbing into sling loops. Those events seem to be dismissed as the result of inherent objective hazards. See the article in its original context from. We won't share it with anyone else. George was an Exum guide for 17 years. Falk was attached to the anchor slings with a four-foot tether and probably leaning out when his knot failed, rangers believe. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of arts and entertainment headlines from the Scene section ofJackson Hole News&Guide. Join Outside+ to get Climbing magazine, access to exclusive content, thousands of training plans, and more. The loss of the seasoned guide, a dedicated husband and father, has devastated the community More by Angus M. Thuermer Jr. allowed. Please note: Online comments may also run in our print The guide service has grown since those early years, but we still hire guides who are able to teach and inspire others. A second citation said Exum did not have a written plan to limit guides exposure to bloodborne pathogens should they render first aid, as they might be expected to do. Half inch tubular webbing is 9/16 inch wide, but barely 1/8 inch thick. Tests show when water knots made with 9/16-inch webbing are repeatedly loaded and unloaded, one tail will eventually be pulled through the knot. He could probably have cinched it down a little bi t more, but it has more than enough tail. All Exum operations were cancelled for Sunday in honor of Falk, the News & Guide reports. There were three deaths involving the climbing concessionaires in the last three years. "What happened we don't and will never know," he said. OSHA cited Exum for violating a standard that dictates that when a worker supplies his or her own safety gear, the employer shall be responsible to assure its adequacy, including proper maintenance.. Donate today to help keep Wyoming empowered and informed. A fund for Gardners family has been set up at a Ridgeway, CO bank. He was probably leaning out with tension on the tether, possibly to see if he was making progress. Have your partner check it too. news and struggling to comprehend the situation.. Sign up to receive a weekly e-newsletter with a selection of arts and entertainment headlines from the Scene section ofJackson Hole News&Guide. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years of experience. As far as we can see, he was not working for Exum, Turner said of the excursion. He is a veteran Wyoming reporter and editor with more than 35 years experience in Wyoming. racist or sexually-oriented language. There was no one better at taking care of their clients., The process with OSHA was very positive, Patridge said. Falk leaves behind his wife, Kate, and two young sons, Anders, 4, and Donovan, 9 months. In the case of a ski patroller killed in a fall, we did come out with some rules for wearing head protection., Falk himself was a beloved person and one of the best guides in this country, Patridge said. Make a donation today and help us keep digging. A Jackson Hole climbing guide service paid a $7,350 fine for safety violations after state officials investigated the 2016 death of a guide who fell from the Grand Teton. Recreation and outdoor businesses in Teton County and other resort areas present unconventional challenges when it comes to ensuring safe workplaces, John Ysebaert said. Falk was in his The 1/2, 9/16, 1 inch, etc refers to width only. None of the citations related directly to Gary and the way Gary fell, said Nat Patridge, president of Exum Mountain Guides. "We are amazingly busy," says Exum co-owner Al Read. Refrain from using negative Is the NPS mistakenly equating the climbing concessionaires with the regular joes out climbing on their own? This past weekend, Gary Falk, 42, Exum Mountain Guide, fell to his To anybody whose life depends on rope work, CHECK YOUR KNOT! 113. As the oldest guide service in North America, Exum has guided in the Tetons for over 90 years. Your email address will not be published. Glenn Exum, a mountain climber who conquered the summits of the Alps and the Rockies and shared his experience with hundreds of others through his guide service, died on March 17 at his home. Just like when you tie into a rope, you have to make sure its tied perfectly. That was not employer negligence., Double-checking knots throughout the season wont be Exums task, the administrator said. Checks made payable to the George Gardner fund can be sent to: Citizens State Bank, P.O. | Max Ritter photo. The probe was prompted by the death of guide Gary Falk. Share with us. We rely on readers like you to keep our reporters in the field unearthing the stories that matter to you. The guide was highly certified, highly trained in the tying of that knot, Ysebaert said. Several began to ascend the Lower Exum while others went higher up the peak intending to descend the ridge. Exum Mountain Guides paid the fine and resolved two citations after an investigation by Wyoming's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. He was a mentor for younger guides. Thanks for engaging in the conversation! Recovery of Gardner's body, accomplished with a helicopter, was delayed when a rain shower moved through the Tetons early Sunday morning. The Falk family split their time between Ouray, Colorado and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Thanks for your support of WyoFile! Turner and others gave the following account of the events leading up to the incident. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to read or post comments. Other than this, we will not share any contact information that you give to us. says. During the summer season Exum offers rock climbing instruction and guided mountain climbing. Indeed, the word love was common in his speech, the idea intimate to his mind, its products present in his actions. 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