RAPPEL FAILURE—Vermont, Washbowl Ledges. Douglas S. Parker (18) of Moscow, Vermont, fell to his death from the Washbowl Ledges near Chapel Pond on October 27.

Though the cliff stood only a half mile from Route 73, rugged terrain made the evacuation difficult and nearly five hours passed before he reached the Keene Valley Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 10:25 p.m. by Dr. Tilman Kluwe of Keene.

Richard Parker (20) and his brother, both students at Middlebury College, had climbed a difficult and unfamiliar route on the cliff. It had taken them three hours to reach the top of the 300 foot climb. Richard said they were at the summit at 5 p.m.

The accident occurred as they were descending at 5:30 p.m. They used two 150 foot ropes for the rappel and both finished the first half of the descent safely.

They passed the rope around a tree, 150 feet from the ground, and Richard rappelled to the base of the cliff. He had just unclipped from the rope when his brother fell. (Source: The Lake Placid News, November 4, 1976)

Analysis: Rescuers are certain that the accident was not due to faculty equipment. Douglas was using a seat harness and a figure-of-eight rappelling device for frictional braking of the descent. Both men were experienced climbers, but Richard thought his brother might have been improperly set up for the rappel.

In any rappel both strands of the doubled line must pass through the climber’s braking system. When Douglas fell he was apparently holding on to only one of the strands, because one end of the rope was nearly pulled back around the tree. (Source: The Lake Placid News, November 4, 1976)