Yosemite Climber Peter Noble dies

by Kelli M

A rock climber who died in Yosemite National Park over the weekend has been identified as Peter Charles Noble, 44, of Oakland, the Tuolumne County Sheriff's Department reported Monday. An autopsy is scheduled to take place within the next 48 hours.

Two male rock climbers went up Cathedral Peak on Saturday and told a ranger they planned to return after dark, said Yosemite park ranger Adrienne Freeman. The other climber was not named.

The climbers chose a difficult route, which took them longer than expected. As the men were descending, the weather changed, Freeman said. It was cold and windy and it started to sleet and snow during the early morning hours.

One of the climbers walked out of the Cathedral Peak area Sunday around 7:30 a.m. and was picked up on the road by a ranger. The park service sent a rescue team to Cathedral Peak and found Noble's body; he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The cause of death is under investigation, but initial reports indicate it may have been weather-related, Freeman said. The climbers' route is commonly done but technically challenging.

Source:

http://www.modbee.com/local/pmupdates/story/118552.html