Two Experienced Climbers Suffer Fatal Falls While Rappelling Off Pingora Peak
Two climbers died while climbing in the Wind River Range on Friday, August 28, 2015. The climbers fell several hundred feet while rappelling down Pingora Peak (11,884′) in the Cirque of Towers. The two men were climbing alone, but the fall was witnessed by another climber in the area and the bodies were evacuated by helicopter on Friday.
They have been identified as Keith Murray Henderson, age 57, of Lander, WY and Scottsbluff, NE and Jonathan Peter MacDonald, age 23, of Cheyenne, WY. RIP. Fremont County Search and Rescue will inspect their gear and evaluate their technique to see if they can determine the cause of the accident.
The Cirque of Towers is a remote climbing destination in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. The vertical, granite towers are located in the Bridger Wilderness of the Bridger Teton National Forest and the Popo Agie Wilderness of the Shoshone National Forest. The area includes popular climbs such as Shark’s Nose, Warbonnet, Wolf’s Head, and Pingora Peak. The area is typically accessed by driving about 55 mile west of Pinedale, WY then an hiking about 10 miles. It’s a busy, but remote area.
This climbing accident follows another double fatality tragedy in Wyoming on August 22, 2015, where two women fell and died while climbing Teewinot Mountain in Grand Teton National Park.
Please be careful out there.
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