A star in the world of big-wall speed climbing has died in a fall in California's Sierra Nevada. The New York Times reports the National Park Service confirmed that Jake Whisenant, 30, was fatally injured while climbing a first ascent in Sequoia & Kings Canyon on Aug.

A well-known amateur rock climber who had set at least two known speed climbing records at Yosemite National Park died in an accident at Sequoia National Park this weekend.

Whisenant developed a reputation in the climbing community for tackling some of Yosemite's most challenging routes at remarkable speeds.