Joshua Tree climber falls to his death

[Iceaxe]

Joshua Tree climber falls to his death


Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Press-Enterprise


A rock climber was killed Monday while scaling a boulder at Joshua Tree National Park.

David Pinegar, 33, of Loomis, Calif., was hiking with a friend in the park near Saddle Rock, off Ryan Mountain in the central area of the park, park spokesman Joe Zarki said.

The two men were rock climbing along a trail called A Walk on the Wild Side, along a spiny ridge, with a 600-foot vertical face in Riverside County, Zarki said.

After reaching the summit, the two men were rappelling down about 1 p.m., with Pinegar's partner reaching the ground first. Zarki said. Pinegar was in the process of lowering himself when his rope gave out, causing him to fall about 150 feet to the ground.

Park rangers and the Joshua Tree Search and Rescue Team were called to the trail, but Pinegar was pronounced dead at the scene. It is the first park death since another hiker fell in March 2009.

--JOHN ASBURY

[Brian in SLC]

Sad deal. Some kinda of rappelling accident, perhaps. Details seem sketchy at best. Was a well liked and fairly experienced climber.

Saddle Rock isn't exactly a "boulder" per the article. Gave thought to climbing Walk on the Wild Side a couple weeks back as I hadn't done it since '86 or so. Fun route.

Take care out there. Double check, triple check...

[Iceaxe]

More info here:

Climber falls to his death
By Courtney Vaughn
Hi-Desert Star
Wednesday, April 20, 2011

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK— A 33-year-old rock climber died here Monday afternoon. David Pinegar, of Loomis, was rappelling from Saddle Rock shortly after 1 p.m. Monday when he fell 110 feet to his death, according to Joe Zarki, park spokesman. Zarki said Pinegar was climbing with a partner and had just finished helping his friend descend when he fell.

Officials at the park got a call from emergency dispatch that a climber had fallen around 1:30 p.m.

“Saddle Rock is a really prominent rock formation on the north face of Ryan Mountain,” Zarki said Tuesday. “He and a partner were working on a route called Walk on the Wild Side.”

Zarki characterized the climbing route as popular and said Saddle Rock has the highest vertical pitch of any rock formation in the park.

“Walk on the Wild Side is about a quarter mile from the Hall of Horrors parking area,” Zarki added.

Pinegar and his climbing companion were using ropes and gear. His younger sister, Juli Pinegar, said he was a climber with more than 10 years of experience who also had spent time in the Alps.

Family: Pinega was thoughtful, a role model

Pinegar’s family members said he returned from Germany about eight months ago after completing post-doctorate work there.

He attended Del Oro High School, the University of California at Berkeley and University of Washington, where he received his PhD in physics in 2007.

“We were hoping he’d find a cure for cancer,” Dan Reed, Pinegar’s uncle, said Tuesday. Reed called his nephew a role model to his younger family members and recalled Pinegar’s love for outdoor activities.

“He recently took up motorcycle riding and he did 780 miles his first ride, from Seattle to Sacramento, no windshield, right in the middle of winter,” Reed said.

Pinegar’s sister said her brother left his hometown of Loomis, northeast of San Fransisco, Saturday to embark on a two-week trip, including a stop in Joshua Tree for rock climbing.

“He told us Friday at dinner he wanted to go on an adventure. We weren’t expecting him home for two weeks” she said.

“He definitely loved adventure. He really tried to live his life to the fullest, that was just his spirit.”

http://hidesertstar.com/articles/201...9710550270.txt

[Brian in SLC]

Walk on the Wild Side ascends the west face of Saddle Rocks. On the right side of the above face, left of that deep corner chimney.

3 pitches. There's a couple ways to descend. Rappel the face or walk off/downclimb the back (with an optional rappel).

[Jaxx]

Sad. Reminds me to double check everything first. Be careful out there!