Australian hiker, 22, is crushed by tree during grueling Yosemite hike

Heartbroken friends of a young Australian adventurer have paid tribute to him after he was killed in a freak accident at Yosemite National Park.

Harry Partington, 22, was crushed by a falling tree as he hiked up the popular Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point on October 8.

A German woman walking nearby was also injured before being airlifted to hospital from the steep valley path.

'Your love of travel may have taken you further than anyone can reach,' wrote his friend Victor Markey in the Australian's home town of Perth .

'But your memories will live forever in the minds and hearts of the people who you have connected with. RIP Harry, the boys will miss you dearly.'

Weather conditions were reported to be 'gusty' as Partington set off on the hairpin trail which climbs more than 3,000 feet from the valley floor to Glacier Point at the top.

The steep climb offers spectacular views of landmarks, including El Capitan, Sentinel Rock, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome.

It was at Half Dome that University of Arizona student Grace Rohloff, 20, fell 200 feet to her death in July while trying to descend the sheer rock face with her father.

She and dad Jonathan Rohloff were both experienced hikers but had slowed their descent to accommodate less experienced climbers and ended up getting stuck in a rain storm.

He immediately scrambled down after her, but was unable to get to the spot where the student had come to rest.

It was an agonizing three hour wait before rescue teams could reach Grace, who suffered a catastrophic head injury.

'It was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever seen,' hiker Erin McGlynn said.

Partington had climbed to around 6,300 feet near Union Point at around 2.30pm when park authorities were alerted to the tree fall.

Hiker Kelly Kennedy Bentley was at the head of the trail waiting for her husband to return from Glacier Point when she saw emergency vehicles arrive at the Southside Drive mustering point.

She feared they had been summoned for her husband before he texted her to let her know he was safe.

'My kids remember about 30 emergency personnel on the trail, paramedics and firemen, and rescue personnel,' she told the Union Democrat .

'The trail was closed. I saw the helicopter up there at least twice.

'Never take life for granted. It can be snatched away in a split second.'

The trail has been travelled by millions of hikers since it opened in 1872 but is closed for at least six months of the year because of 'treacherous' conditions.

'It was mid-afternoon, and there were wind gusts that day,' said Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman. 'There were a few raindrops in the Valley.

'We always ask that people have situational awareness and be aware of your surroundings. This is certainly an unfortunate event.'

The young hiker was a keen sportsman with many family members in the UK.

He had received awards for his work as an amateur Australian Rules Football referee for the Demons District Umpires in his native Western Australia.

More than 160 people have died in the park's 1,187 square miles since 2007, many of them while traveling alone.

Former park ranger Kirk Thomas Olsen, 61, was missing for three weeks before his body was found near the Ostrander Lake trail on September 14.

'Unfortunately Mother Nature in all of her glory does not account for past experience and solo hiking is never an endeavor that is without risks,' his niece Holly Leeson said.

'Please, whenever possible, travel with a companion and be safe.

'The earth is beautiful and I myself will always be a supporter of our National Parks system and the opportunities they provide to see nature at her best, but take the necessary precautions and be safe in all of your endeavors.'