The incident baffled Robinson, who is the executive director of the Access Fund, an organization that works to protect climbing access in the United States. The section of the Freeblast Route where the duo fell was a relatively easy part of the ascent, Robinson said. But it’s known for its chunks of rocks that can occasionally become loose. Additionally, the technique the pair were employing, a type of speed climbing called “simul-climbing,” is an advanced one that becomes “inherently riskier” when a third person is added, Robinson said.<doc-sep>Two climbers have fallen to their deaths while climbing the rock face known as "El Capitan" in California's Yosemite National Park. Jason Wells, 46, and Tim Klien, 42, died trying to scale the 900m-tall granite formation using the Free Blast route on Saturday morning. National Park Rangers received multiple 911 calls about the fall at around 8.15am but neither climber survived. No further details have been released about how Mr Wells, from Boulder, Colorado, and Mr Klien, of Palmdale, California, lost their lives. They were reportedly training for a speed ascent of the rock formation with the simul (simultaneous) climbing method. The accident follows the death of a hiker who slipped while climbing the granite cliffs of Half Dome in Yosemite last week. British climber Andrew Foster, 32, was killed at El Capitan last September when he was crushed by falling rocks in front of his wife Lucy. There are more than 100 accidents in the park every year, most of them involving experienced climbers, according to the National Park Service. "At least 80 per cent of the fatalities and many injuries, were easily preventable," wrote Yosemite Ranger John Dill in his guide Staying Alive. "In case after case, ignorance, a casual attitude, and/or some form of distraction proved to be the most dangerous aspects of the sport." World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut.<doc-sep>Two climbers fall to their deaths at Yosemite (CNN) — Two climbers fell to their deaths Saturday morning at Yosemite National Park in California, according to spokeswoman and Park Ranger Jamie Richards The climbers were on the Freeblast Route of El Capitan when they fell. The park identified the victims as Jason Wells, 46, of Boulder, Colorado and Tim Klien, 42, of Palmdale, California. “The circumstances around the fall are under investigation, and we are working to understand what happened,” Richards said. The climbers fell around 8:15 a.m. (11:15 a.m. ET), according to a news release. Park rangers along with search and rescue immediately responded after numerous 911 calls, said Richards. When they arrived at the site, they discovered the two climbers had died. Officials have not yet released the identities of the climbers. Last month, a hiker fell to his death while ascending Yosemite’s famous Half Dome trail, the National Park Service said. It was the park’s first death on the Half Dome cables since 2010 and the first visitor fatality in 2018, the park service said. CNN’s Stella Chan contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Two rock climbers were killed Saturday morning when they fell from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, officials said. The two fell about 8:15 a.m. while climbing the Freeblast route on the sheer granite rock, according to a statement from the National Park Service. Park rangers and rescue workers were immediately dispatched to the scene. The two climbers were identified as Jason Wells, 46, of Boulder, Colo., and Tim Klein, 42, of Palmdale, Calif., according to the park service. Freeblast is a climbing route on the first stretch of near-vertical rock above the tree line on El Capitan, which rises 3,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley. Yosemite’s majestic rock faces have proven both alluring and deadly for climbers. On May 21, a man died on Half Dome after he slipped and fell during a thunderstorm in the last 400 feet of the climb, where hikers grasp cables to scale the summit. Since the cables were installed nearly a century ago, eight people have died on that stretch, which is often congested with hikers in the warm months, according to the San Jose Mercury News. In September 2017, a climber was killed on El Capitan and another injured when a rock crashed down on a popular climbing route along the East Buttress of the monolith. Some of the best rock climbers in the world have risked their lives at Yosemite to achieve record-breaking feats. On May 30, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell broke the speed record for an ascent of El Capitan’s Nose route, scaling the rock’s forbidding prow in 2 hours, 10 minutes and 15 seconds. Hans Florine, Honnold’s partner in a previous record-setting climb in 2012, watched from a wheelchair after being injured in a May 4 fall from the Nose. In June 2017, Honnold became the first person to climb El Capitan without ropes. cindy.chang@latimes.com Twitter: @cindychangLA UPDATES: 6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with the identities of the two climbers. 4:05 p.m.: This article was updated with more information about past accidents at the park. 2:30 p.m.: This article has been updated with additional information from the National Park Service. This article was originally posted at 12:55 p.m.