Rock climber dies hours after proposing to girlfriend

A US rock climber has fallen to his death on the same day he proposed to his girlfriend.

Brad Parker, 36, was climbing alone without ropes in Yosemite National Park in California on Saturday afternoon when he fell to his death, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports.

Earlier that day Mr Parker and his girlfriend Jainee Dial had climbed to the top of Cathedral Peak in the park, where he had proposed.

"This is the happiest day of my life," Mr Parker had said, according to Ms Dial's father.

After she said yes, the pair went in separate directions, with Mr Parker taking on a more difficult climb.

"We're all so stunned," his father Bill said.

"What happened is so unbelievable."

His family have accepted the advice of others familiar with climbing deaths and will not be viewing their son's body.

"He was all about fitness and spirituality," his uncle Kit Kersch said.

"He did more in his 36 years than most people do in 75 or 80 years of life."

Mr Parker's fiancée has not spoken to the media since his death, but overnight changed her Facebook profile picture to an image of the two together.