Todd Skinner

Todd Richard Skinner (October 27, 1958 – October 23, 2006)^[1] was an American free climber. His climbing achievements included the first free ascents of many routes around the world and the world's first free ascent of a grade 7 climb.

Skinner was born in Pinedale, Wyoming, and planned to "take a little while off to climb" after gaining a degree in finance from the University of Wyoming in 1982. Instead, he became a full-time free climber and motivational speaker. In 1990, he settled in Lander, Wyoming, in part because he considered the dolomite cliffs there to be the ultimate training ground for free climbing. He opened the Wild Iris Mountain Sports store in Lander, and encouraged visits by climbers from around the world. He was married with three children.

Todd Skinner completed a new route up the face of Leaning Tower in Yosemite National Park on October 23, 2006. While rappelling down, he fell 500 feet and died. The cause of death was the failure of the belay loop of his climbing harness.^[2] Jim Hewett, a friend of Skinner, had previously observed that the harness appeared worn.^[3]

First free ascents

1985: The Gunfighter (5.13b), Hueco Tanks, Texas, USA^[4]
1986: City Park (5.13b), Lower Index Town Wall, Washington, USA
1988: The Salathe Wall (VI 5.13b), El Capitan, Yosemite National Park
1989: Lizzy Beams Desire (5.14a), Black Hills, South Dakota, USA
1990: The Jaded Lady (VI 5.12a), North face of Mt. Hooker, Wind River Range, Wyoming. With Paul Piana, Galen Rowell and Tim Toula.^[5]
1992: The Great Canadian Knife (VI 5.13b), Cirque of the Unclimbables, Yukon Territories, Canada
1993: Northwest Direct Route (VI 5.13d) on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park
1995: Cowboy Direct (VII 5.13a) East Face of Trango Tower, Pakistan's Karakoram Himalayas (the first Grade 7 free climb in the world).
1998: War and Poetry (VI 5.12c), Ulamertorsuaq, Cape Farewell, of Greenland
2000: True at First Light (VI 5.13a), East Face of Poi, Ndoto Mountains, Northern Kenya
2004: Wet Lycra Nightmare (V 5.13d), Leaning Tower, Yosemite, California, USA

References

↑ Ghiglieri, Michael P. & Farabee, Charles R. "Butch", Jr. (2007). Off the Wall: Death in Yosemite. Flagstaff: Puma Press. p. 368. ISBN 978-0-9700973-6-1.
↑ Lober, Keith (Oct 30, 2006). "Follow-up On Fatal Climbing Fall" (archived at huecotanks.com). The Morning Report for Monday, October 30, 2006. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
↑ http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Fatal-fall-at-Yosemite-shocks-climbing-world-2485866.php
↑ Samet, Matt; Steve Bechtel (2007). "Loss of a Legend" (archived at huecotanks.com). Climbing. Skram Media LLC. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
↑ Rowell, Galen (1991). "Hooker's North Face Free-climbed". American Alpine Journal. Golden, CO, USA: American Alpine Club. 33 (65): 131–139. ISBN 0-930410-46-7.

External links

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 260905350 LCCN: n92122596

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