Rock climber falls to death

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Dennis Murphy is shown in an undated photo. The Lake Placid man died in a rock-climbing accident Tuesday.

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August 18, 2010

300-foot plunge off cliff claims Dennis Murphy

By KIM SMITH DEDAM Staff Writer The Press Republican Wed Aug 18, 2010, 08:20 AM EDT

KEENE — A Lake Placid man fell to his death in a rock-climbing accident Monday evening.

Dennis Murphy, 35, had reached the top of a climbing route on Upper Washbowl Cliffs in Keene Valley at about 6:10 p.m. when he lost his footing and fell more than 100 feet.

New York State forest rangers and Keene Fire Department Wilderness Rescue personnel found Murphy near the bottom of the rock face, State Police said.

Department of Environmental Conservation spokesman David Winchell said Murphy climbed up either Hesitation or Weissner, popular vertical routes 300 feet up granite cliffs that overlook Chapel Pond across Route 73.

'VERY GOOD CLIMBER'

Murphy and a companion had planned to rappel down Partition, a descent with a fixed anchor for ropes. Partition connects down along a narrow ridge to a route called Mastercharge to the cliff base.

"Dennis, from what I understand, was a very good climber," Winchell said.

"There was an obstacle that he was walking around, while his partner was tying off. Dennis came around this obstacle and slipped and fell."

Descents at Partition and Mastercharge are rated 5.9 and 5.11 in the Yosemite Decimal System. On a scale between 1 and 6, these are among a class of rock routes requiring ropes to navigate vertical rock.

HEARTBROKEN

Murphy had worked at Eastern Mountain Sports in Lake Placid.

Eastern Mountain Sports Basecamp spokesman Thomas Connolly, based in Peterborough, N.H., said Murphy was a passionate member of the Adirondack climbing community.

He said Murphy's family is overcome with grief.

BODY CARRIED OUT

DEC Forest Ranger Jim Giglinto was among first-responders when the emergency call came in. The Keene Valley Fire Department and members of their Backcountry Rescue Team assisted in recovery, along with troopers and a rescue helicopter from the State Police aviation unit.

"Upon locating Mr. Murphy, it was clear he was deceased," Winchell said in a statement. "State Police and DEC investigators were contacted and documentation was made to assist in the investigation.

"The climber's body was carried over rough terrain to a nearby location and hoisted to the helicopter, (then) transported to Marcy Field, where the Essex County Coroner Walter S. Marvin III declared Mr. Murphy dead at 8:41 p.m."

An autopsy was performed by Dr. C. Francis Varga at the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, who determined cause of death due to massive blunt force trauma from a fall.

The manner of death was ruled to be accidental. &boldtext;— Staff Writer Michelle Besaw contributed to this report.