Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
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