Himalayan Fatalities, 1986. I have read with considerable interest the pages devoted to the Himalaya. On the basis of these reports, there seem to have been 44 deaths in 1986. That in itself may not seem noteworthy related to the overall number of climbers involved. What has changed over the past decade is the leading cause. Falls account for 13 deaths (36.6%). Avalanches are the second most important cause with 13 deaths (31.7%). High-altitude oedema comes next, accounting for 12.25% of all deaths. Exhaustion and “other” causes make up the rest. Germans (6) and Japanese (5) top the list of fatalities, followed by Poland and Switzerland with 4 each.

Trevor Braham, Alpine Club