British climber killed and wife ‘critical’ after huge rockfall

A BRITISH climber was crushed to death by falling rocks in front of his wife as they celebrated their first wedding anniversary with a “dream climb” in Yosemite National Park.

Andrew Foster, 32, died after more than 1,000 tons of rock fell from the rock face of the El Capitan monolith on Wednesday. His wife Lucy, 28, remains in a “critical” condition.

The avid climbers, who live in Cardiff, had been living their “big dream” with the climb of a lifetime when the sheet of granite, measuring 40 metres by 20 metres, came crashing down from a height of 200 metres and buried them.

They were at the end of a three-week trip to Yosemite National Park in California and had saved the most difficult climb until last.

Experienced climber Mr Foster, originally from Cheltenham, was killed instantly but rescuers managed to reach his wife and airlift her to hospital.

The couple, who married in August last year, had flown to the US on Sept 11 along with friends who were also experienced climbers.

The pair were writing a detailed blog of their experiences and Mr Foster had written: “Yosemite is an awesome place and for many climbers is one of the many places to go before you die. Big walls often scare most UK climbers just due to the size but with the right attitude and a basic understanding of the skill then you’re in with a good chance of bashing out a route that you will remember for the rest of your life.”

Mr Foster was a manager with outdoors equipment and clothing company Patagonia. Colleagues described him as a “much loved” member of the team.

Mrs Foster, from Market Drayton, Shropshire, also worked in the same industry and the pair spent all their spare time in the great outdoors.