Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III

Publication Year: 1969.

Numbers Refer to Number of Persons Involved



1951-67

1959-67

1968





U.S.A.

CAN.

U.S.A.

CAN.



Terrain



Rock 

637

41

51

9



Snow 

377

37

29

8



River 

3

0

0

0



Unknown 

1

2

0

0



Ascent or Descent



Ascent 

493

43

46

6



Descent 

465

33

33

11



Unknown 

60

4

1

0



Immediate Cause



Fall or slip on rock

362

24

24

5



Failure of piton 

21

1

3

0



Falling rock or object

102

10

7

4



Failure of rappel

50

1

5

1



Slip on snow or ice

153

20

4

0



Fall into crevasse

27

5

3

0



Loss of control — Voluntary glissade 

48

3

2

0



Avalanche 

72

7

5

6



Lightning 

23

3

0

0



Stuck rope

6

0

0

0



Skiing

2

1

1

0



Faulty use of crampons 

7

0

0

0



Fall in river 

3

0

0

0



Exposure and/or Exhaustion 

51

0

12

0



Heat prostration 

2

0

0

0



Illness Medical (incl. Pulm. Edema) 

84

1

3

0



Miscellaneous (incl. Frostbite) 

5

4

11

1



Contributory Causes



Climbing unroped 

270

18

25

3



Climbing alone

73

8

8

1



Exceeding abilities

(inexperience) 

188

23

29

9



Darkness 

22

1

1

0



Inadequate equipment 

66

1

18

4



Old rope

6

0

1

1



Piton failure 

17

2

1

0



Bad weather

33

4

2

0



Exposure and/or Exhaustion

16

1

0

0



Party separated 

27

2

1

0





1951-67

1959-67

1968





U.S.A.

CAN.

U.S.A.

CAN.



Age of Individuals



Boys

7

0

0

0



Under 15

46

2

2

0



15-20

326

17

22

3



“Young or college age”

7

1

0

0



21-25

226

9

18

3



26-30

106

17

17

6



31-35

78

3

8

0



Over 35

118

13

12

5



Unknown

104

18

1

0



Affiliation with Climbing Groups



Unaffiliated

288

10

26

0



Not stated

310

20

32

5



Member of Mountaineering Club

420

50

22

12



Estimate of Experience



None or little

478

34

40

5



Moderate

272

19

21

7



Experienced

158

19

17

4



Unknown

110

8

2

1



Month of Year



January

29

1

2

0



February

50

1

1

3



March

45

0

5

0



April

64

1

4

0



May

90

5

17

2



June

101

5

15

4



July

234

42

10

4



August

188

20

9

3



September

105

3

11

1



October

50

1

3

0



November

40

0

3

0



December

19

0

0

0



Unknown

3

1

0

0