Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
TABLE III
Miscellaneous Information Numbers Refer to Number of Persons Involved
1951-64
U.S.A.
1959-64
CAN.
1965
U.S.A.
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
481
24
54
0
Snow
258
26
35
0
River
3
0
0
0
Unknown
0
0
0
0
Ascent or Descent
(River crossing not included)
Ascent
354
28
51
0
Descent
330
21
37
0
Unknown
48
1
1
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
266
11
32
0
Failure of piton
19
1
1
0
Falling rock or object
70
7
8
0
Failure of rappel
39
1
6
0
Slip on snow or ice
104
10
16
0
Fall into crevasse
19
4
5
0
Loss of control in voluntary glissade
36
3
4
0
Avalanche
54
7
7
0
Lightning
19
3
2
0
Stuck rope
5
0
0
0
Skiing
2
0
0
0
Faulty use of crampon
5
0
0
0
Fall in river
2
0
0
0
Exposure and/or exhaustion
42
1
0
0
Heat prostration
2
0
0
0
Illness, medical
5
1
4
0
Exceeding abilities
(inexperience)
16
0
3
0
Miscellaneous
(including frostbite)
28
1
1
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
190
9
20
0
Climbing alone
50
4
3
0
Attempt to exceed abilities (inexperience)
111
10
7
0
Darkness
10
0
0
0
Inadequate equipment
36
0
1
0
Old rope
4
0
0
0
Piton failure
13
1
0
0
1951-64
1959-64
1965
U.S.A.
CAN.
U.S.A.
CAN.
Bad weather
15
5
0
0
Exposure and/or exhaustion
10
3
0
0
Party separated
12
0
5
0
Age of Individuals
Boys
6
0
0
0
Under 15
24
1
0
0
15-20 years
239
12
21
0
“Young or college age”
12
1
2
0
21-25
162
4
24
0
26-30
72
11
12
0
31-35
54
1
7
0
Over 35
73
9
16
0
Unknown
71
11
7
0
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
190
9
21
0
Not stated
245
5
27
0
Member of mountaineering club
298
36
41
0
Estimate of Experience
None or little
355
18
34
0
Moderate
192
16
23
0
Experienced
97
13
18
0
Unknown
88
3
14
0
Month of Year
January
16
1
9
0
February
40
1
3
0
March
28
0
3
0
April
40
1
6
0
May
60
0
7
0
June
80
2
11
0
July
164
29
20
0
August
131
14
20
0
September
71
1
4
0
October
36
0
5
0
November
36
0
0
0
December
18
0
1
0
Not specified
2
1
0
0