James Martin Welton, 34, of Durango, CO, fell to his death while climbing in Zion National Park on Friday, Oct. 17, 2008. The fall was from a popular climbing route called “Touchstone." The cause of the incident is currently under investigation by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in cooperation with the National Park Service.
At approximately 7:15 p.m. two climbers who were ascending a nearby route stopped a Zion Canyon Shuttle Bus and reported that another climber had fallen. Rangers on scene determined that Welton had fallen approximately 300 feet and confirmed it was a fatality. His two climbing partners witnessed the fall. Eleven members of the Zion Search and Rescue Team responded and worked through the night removing the victim and investigating the fall.
Touchstone is one of the most popular big wall climbs in the park, located across the canyon from Angels Landing. Over 1,000 feet high from river to rim, it is usually a two-day climb requiring an overnight stay on a “port-a-ledge," a cot-like device attached to the wall. Welton was considered a very experienced climber. He recently completed a climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
This is the first fatality in the park for 2008, and the sixth climbing fatality since 1983.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
