Park officials: Fall killed Ridgway guide

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A Ridgway mountain climbing guide died from fall injuries, Grand Teton National Park officials said Tuesday.

George Gardner, 58, was climbing solo after having settled in a group of clients at their base camp for the evening. He set out alone at around 5 p.m. Saturday and was discovered dead the next morning at the Lower Exum Ridge in the park.

A weather station in the area provided one of the few clues as to what might have happened: at 6 p.m., it registered “a pretty significant and unusual wind gust,” said Jackie Skaggs, public affairs officer for the park.

“As is often the case in these situations, because he was by himself, we may never know, really, what occurred,” she said. “There was no obvious rock fall. We couldn’t necessarily determine an obvious reason.”

Skaggs then referred to the weather station reading and said it was possible the wind gust could have contributed to Gardner’s fall.

Gardner had 17 years’ experience with Exum Mountain Guides and a total of 28 years of climbing experience, Skaggs said. He was not climbing above his skill level and, she said, solo climbs by guides are not unusual at the park.

His colleagues didn’t worry Saturday evening, but did when they roused the clients at 3 a.m. Sunday and noticed Gardner wasn’t there. They performed a cursory search of his known climbing area and found his body.

“He had died, it appears, from trauma received in a fall,” Skaggs said.

Rangers were notified and investigated. They flew in a helicopter, which took his body out on a rope and litter.

Gardner’s wife and son, who were spending the summer with him at the Grand Tetons, were among those waiting at the park’s rescue cache.

His body was transported to the coroner in Jackson, Wyo.

“He was just a wonderful human being,” Skaggs said. “He was always happy and completely engaged with who he was with. His mission was in some ways to mentor young climbers and fellow climbers.”

Skaggs said the incident was a “tragedy on all levels” and extended the park’s condolences to Gardner’s family and friends.