Broken Harness Likely Caused Skinner's Death
By Dougald MacDonald
Although an official investigation remains to be completed, it appears increasingly likely that a broken belay loop on Todd Skinner’s harness caused his death. Skinner fell about 500 feet on Monday while rappelling fixed lines during an attempt to free climb a route on Leaning Tower in Yosemite Valley. Jim Hewett, Skinner’s climbing partner on Leaning Tower, is quoted extensively about the accident in today’s San Francisco Chronicle. “[The harness] was actually very worn,â€