Todd Skinner

Who was Todd Skinner?

Todd Richard Skinner was an American free climber. His climbing achievements included the first free ascents of many routes around the world and the world's first free ascent of a grade 7 climb.

Skinner was born in Pinedale, Wyoming, and planned to "take a little while off to climb" after gaining a degree in finance from the University of Wyoming in 1982. Instead, he became a full-time free climber and motivational speaker. In 1990, he settled in Lander, Wyoming, in part because he considered the dolomite cliffs there to be the ultimate training ground for free climbing. He opened the Wild Iris Mountain Sports store in Lander, and encouraged visits by climbers from around the world. He was married with three children.

Todd Skinner completed a new route up the face of Leaning Tower in Yosemite National Park on October 23, 2006. While rappelling down, he fell 500 feet and died. The cause of death was the failure of the belay loop of his climbing harness. Jim Hewett, a friend of Skinner, had previously observed that the harness appeared worn.