A professional rock climber died Wednesday after falling over 300 meters while climbing at El Potrero Chico in Nuevo León.
Brad Gobright, 31, of Orange County, California, was climbing Sendero Luminoso, about an hour northwest of Monterrey, when he and his climbing partner fell after their rope became stuck.
His partner, Aidan Jackson, fell into a bush that broke his fall and prevented him from falling farther.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the climber’s death in an official statement.
“We offer our sincerest condolences to his family on their loss. We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation and are providing all appropriate consular assistance. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment,” the department said.
Renowned climber Alex Honnold, subject of the Oscar-winning 2018 film Free Solo, eulogized his friend and former climbing partner in a post on Instagram.
“He was such a warm, kind soul — one of a handful of partners that I always loved spending a day with . . . I’m just sad for Brad and his family. And for all of us who were so positively affected by his life. So crushing. Brad was a real gem of a man. The climbing world lost a true light,” he wrote.
The Sendero Luminoso climb attracts thousands of climbers a year from all over the world. At 850-900 meters high, it requires two days of climbing to reach the top.
Gobright reached the heights of rock climbing fame in 2017 when he and fellow climber Jim Reynolds broke the time record for summiting El Capitán in Yosemite National Park in California. The two completed the 914-meter climb in two hours, 19 minutes and 44 seconds.
Sources: CNN (en), Infobae (sp)
