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Stanford graduate student, avid rock climber falls to death
By Diana Samuels
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 07/13/2010 06:30:19 PM PDT
Updated: 07/14/2010 10:10:37 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Chris Chan, a 31-year-old Stanford graduate student, died... ( Courtesy of Stanford Alpine Club )
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With degrees in engineering and biochemical sciences already in hand and working toward a doctorate in political science, Stanford University graduate student Chris Chan was "all over the map" when it came to interests, her friend said Tuesday.
"But the one thing she knew for certain was that she loved climbing," Jim Castelaz added.
Chan, 31, died Friday afternoon doing what she loved — scaling a massive wall of rock. The former president of the Stanford Alpine Club fell to her death while descending Eichorn Pinnacle in Yosemite National Park.
National Park Service representatives confirmed Tuesday that Chan was free solo climbing without ropes or gear when she slipped and fell about 300 feet around
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1:30 p.m. It is not known why she slipped.
Friends said Chan grew up in Atlanta. According to Chan's personal website, she received a bachelor's degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard University in 2000, a master's degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford in 2008, and was pursuing a doctorate in political science at Stanford. Before coming to Stanford, she attended the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego, according to her website. She was interested in environmental policy and Chinese politics.
Chan's doctoral adviser at Stanford, Jean Oi, said Chan was about to start research for her dissertation on the politics surrounding the adoption
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of environmental technologies in China. Chan had spent the past year in China, learning the language, and was set to go back next school year to begin researching.
"Chris was such an exceptional person in so many respects," Oi wrote in an e-mail from Hong Kong. "I was so looking forward to working with her on her dissertation. ... She had so much academic talent. She also was such a kind and generous person. I will miss her terribly."
Castelaz said he is continuing to learn more about Chan's life as friends share their memories. He said he just learned, for example, that she played violin and piano.
"She was always full of surprises," Castelaz said. "She could talk intelligently about any subject."
But she lived for rock climbing.
"There is no existence that I love more than the moments spent on steep granite faces," Chan's website says.
She was an experienced climber and taught rock climbing in the Alpine Club and Stanford's Outdoor Education Program. Castelaz said one of the reasons she chose Stanford likely was its proximity to Yosemite. During the summer, he said, "she basically lived out there."
Chris McGuinness, co-president of the Stanford Alpine Club and Chan's former roommate, said
Chan loved to share her climbing knowledge with others. She was "very inspiring" and her love of life rubbed off on others, McGuinness said. "She was always, always smiling. She was one of those people that just sort of radiated joy of life and was very enthusiastic about things. Being around her you couldn't help but also get excited."
On Friday, Chan met up with Castelaz and a couple of other climbers in Yosemite. First, they climbed Cathedral Peak, a 10,900-foot mountain overlooking Tenaya Lake, then she and Castelaz headed for Eichorn Pinnacle, which rises from Cathedral's flank. For a climber of Chan's experience, Eichorn was "very easy," Castelaz said.
They reached the top, enjoyed the view and talked about climbing, Castelaz said in a Facebook post describing the ascent. Then they headed back down. Castelaz said he was about 20 feet above her when he heard a noise and turned around to see her fall.
"I don't know what happened or why she came off," Castelaz wrote in the Facebook post. "I saw her falling. I was in shock and horrified and helpless. It was the worst moment of my life. Wherever she finally landed, it was out of my sight."
He shouted at two nearby climbers to call for help and rushed down the mountain. A helicopter found Chan, and the rescue workers told Castelaz she hadn't survived.
"Those that know (Chris), know that she would not apologize for climbing, even now," Castelaz wrote on Facebook. "I feel lucky and grateful for the wonderful day we had together. It is something I will always hold close to my heart. No one chooses the time or place where they go, and Chris went while doing something she loved in a place she loved."
A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m., at Stanford Memorial Church.
Stanford graduate student, avid rock climber falls to death
By Diana Samuels
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 07/13/2010 06:30:19 PM PDT
Updated: 07/14/2010 10:10:37 AM PDT
Click photo to enlarge
Chris Chan, a 31-year-old Stanford graduate student, died... ( Courtesy of Stanford Alpine Club )
* «
* 1
* 2
* 3
* 4
* »
Share condolences
* Guest book for Chris Chan
With degrees in engineering and biochemical sciences already in hand and working toward a doctorate in political science, Stanford University graduate student Chris Chan was "all over the map" when it came to interests, her friend said Tuesday.
"But the one thing she knew for certain was that she loved climbing," Jim Castelaz added.
Chan, 31, died Friday afternoon doing what she loved — scaling a massive wall of rock. The former president of the Stanford Alpine Club fell to her death while descending Eichorn Pinnacle in Yosemite National Park.
National Park Service representatives confirmed Tuesday that Chan was free solo climbing without ropes or gear when she slipped and fell about 300 feet around
My Town
* Peninsula: News, reader photos, forums & more
* Other My Town pages
More from the Peninsula
* Santa Clara County's high-end houses hit in foreclosure crisis
* San Mateo County supervisors decide to keep at-large elections in place
* CHP: Redwood City motorcycle cop not at fault in crash
1:30 p.m. It is not known why she slipped.
Friends said Chan grew up in Atlanta. According to Chan's personal website, she received a bachelor's degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard University in 2000, a master's degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford in 2008, and was pursuing a doctorate in political science at Stanford. Before coming to Stanford, she attended the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at the University of California, San Diego, according to her website. She was interested in environmental policy and Chinese politics.
Chan's doctoral adviser at Stanford, Jean Oi, said Chan was about to start research for her dissertation on the politics surrounding the adoption
Advertisement
Quantcast
of environmental technologies in China. Chan had spent the past year in China, learning the language, and was set to go back next school year to begin researching.
"Chris was such an exceptional person in so many respects," Oi wrote in an e-mail from Hong Kong. "I was so looking forward to working with her on her dissertation. ... She had so much academic talent. She also was such a kind and generous person. I will miss her terribly."
Castelaz said he is continuing to learn more about Chan's life as friends share their memories. He said he just learned, for example, that she played violin and piano.
"She was always full of surprises," Castelaz said. "She could talk intelligently about any subject."
But she lived for rock climbing.
"There is no existence that I love more than the moments spent on steep granite faces," Chan's website says.
She was an experienced climber and taught rock climbing in the Alpine Club and Stanford's Outdoor Education Program. Castelaz said one of the reasons she chose Stanford likely was its proximity to Yosemite. During the summer, he said, "she basically lived out there."
Chris McGuinness, co-president of the Stanford Alpine Club and Chan's former roommate, said
Chan loved to share her climbing knowledge with others. She was "very inspiring" and her love of life rubbed off on others, McGuinness said. "She was always, always smiling. She was one of those people that just sort of radiated joy of life and was very enthusiastic about things. Being around her you couldn't help but also get excited."
On Friday, Chan met up with Castelaz and a couple of other climbers in Yosemite. First, they climbed Cathedral Peak, a 10,900-foot mountain overlooking Tenaya Lake, then she and Castelaz headed for Eichorn Pinnacle, which rises from Cathedral's flank. For a climber of Chan's experience, Eichorn was "very easy," Castelaz said.
They reached the top, enjoyed the view and talked about climbing, Castelaz said in a Facebook post describing the ascent. Then they headed back down. Castelaz said he was about 20 feet above her when he heard a noise and turned around to see her fall.
"I don't know what happened or why she came off," Castelaz wrote in the Facebook post. "I saw her falling. I was in shock and horrified and helpless. It was the worst moment of my life. Wherever she finally landed, it was out of my sight."
He shouted at two nearby climbers to call for help and rushed down the mountain. A helicopter found Chan, and the rescue workers told Castelaz she hadn't survived.
"Those that know (Chris), know that she would not apologize for climbing, even now," Castelaz wrote on Facebook. "I feel lucky and grateful for the wonderful day we had together. It is something I will always hold close to my heart. No one chooses the time or place where they go, and Chris went while doing something she loved in a place she loved."
A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m., at Stanford Memorial Church.
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