The rock climber killed Tuesday in a fall in the Needles apparently had misjudged the amount of rope he had as he rappelled from one of the spires, according to Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler.

The victim, Paul A. Duval, 71, of Custer, was a very experienced climber, Wheeler said. Duval climbed almost every day. But he apparently misjudged the amount of rope he had and fell to the ground in Tuesday's accident, Wheeler said.

Duval and his climbing partner were climbing on Moonlight Ridge when he fell shortly after noon Tuesday, Wheeler said.

Duval and his partner were reportedly using a new rope that was not their own and was marked differently, according to Daryl Stisser, co-owner of Sylvan Rocks Climbing School and Guide Service. Stisser, who wasn't on the scene at the time of the accident, said Duval apparently mistook some of the marks on the climbing rope, leading to the accident.

There were other climbers in the area Tuesday, Wheeler said.

Rescue crew members administered CPR but could not resuscitate him, he said. Duval was dead at the scene.

Duval, who spent much of his life as a teacher in the Boston area, was a long-time member of the Appalachian Mountain Club and was very active as a rock-climbing instructor, according to his brother, Ron Duval of Long Valley, N.J. Paul Duval's climbing experience included excursions to Europe, Africa, Mexico and throughout North America, his brother said.

He had climbed often in the Needles, Wheeler said.

Although a teenager died while climbing without safety equipment near Sylvan Lake last summer, accidents involving technical climbers are rare, according to Steve Baldwin, head of the Custer County Search and Rescue team.

Tuesday's accident was the first serious accident in the Needles area for many years, Baldwin said. "The climbers are generally so good, they pretty much take care of themselves," he said.

But the Needles' granite spires offer a range of climbing that draws serious climbers, Baldwin said Wednesday. "People come from all over the world. Difficulty wise, it's everything from nice, easy climbs to extremely technical."

Climbers may be seen on the Needles virtually every nice day during the summer, according to Craig Pugsley, visitor-services coordinator at Custer State Park. Pugsley said the park doesn't keep track of the number of climbers, who aren't required to register to climb.

Rock climbing is generally a safe sport with relatively few accidents, but like other sports, it is susceptible to error, Stisser said.

The local climbing community is mourning Duval, Stisser said Wednesday. "Rock climbing was a part of life that Paul loved. He loved the people, and the beautiful places it took him. He will be missed."

Stisser added, "Many I've talked to were out on the rocks again today, no doubt being a little more careful."

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com