Guide who fell to death on Grand Teton unclipped from anchor

JACKSON, Wyo. – A National Park Service official says a mountain guide who died in a fall on Grand Teton National Park’s highest peak unclipped himself from an anchor while reaching for a rappel device.

Exum Mountain guide Gary Falk fell about 2,400 feet (731 meters) on Saturday. The 42-year-old Falk had just successfully guided four climbers up the Grand Teton, which is more than 13,700 feet (4,175 meters) in elevation. They were coming back down the Wyoming peak when he fell.

Park spokeswoman Denise Germann tells the Jackson Hole News & Guide that a rappelling device became stuck and Falk unclipped his tether from the anchor to reposition himself to free the device.

Another Exum guide safely led the group down the mountain.

It was Falk’s 12th summer guiding with Exum.