Body of Solo Climber Found on Mount Teewinot in Grand Teton National Park, WY

Park rangers responded Saturday, September 4, to a report from a climber ascending Teewinot Mountain, WY, of a deceased male at the base of the Black Chimney climbing route. The deceased climber has been identified as 42-year-old Hitoshi Onoe, a Japanese national who worked in San Jose, California.

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Rangers arrived on the scene Saturday and recovered Onoe’s remains. The National Park Service is conducting an investigation into the accident.

Onoe appears to have been climbing alone with the intent of climbing the East Face route based on the marked map found with him. Route finding is difficult in the area.

The Japanese consulate has provided communication with Onoe’s family in Japan and next-of-kin notifications have been made. Grand Teton National Park employees extend their condolences to Hitoshi Onoe’s family and friends.

According to Wikipedia, Teewinot Mountain (12,330 feet (3,758 m)) is the sixth highest peak in the Teton Range, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The name of the mountain is derived from the Shoshone Native American word meaning “many pinnacles”. The peak is northeast of the Grand Teton, and the two are separated from one another by the Teton Glacier and Mount Owen. Teewinot Mountain rises more than 5,500 feet (1,700 m) above Jenny Lake. The 40 miles (64 km) long Teton Range is the youngest mountain chain in the Rocky Mountains, and began their uplift 9 million years ago, during the Miocene. Several periods of glaciation have carved Teewinot Mountain and the other peaks of the range into their current shapes. Broken Falls is one of the tallest cascades in Grand Teton National Park and descends 300 feet (91 m) down the eastern slopes of Teewinot Mountain.