Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
Numbers Refer to Number of Persons Involved
1951-68
U.S.A.
1959-68
CAN.
1969
U.S.A.
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
692
51
83
8
Snow
409
45
37
10
River
3
0
0
0
Unknown
1
2
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
543
49
56
13
Descent
501
45
62
5
Unknown
61
4
2
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
389
30
47
5
Failure of piton
24
1
3
0
Falling rock or object
109
14
13
1
Failure of rappel
56
2
1
0
Slip on snow or ice
157
20
21
3
Fall into crevasse
30
5
0
1
Loss of control — Voluntary
glissade
50
3
1
1
Avalanche
80
13
8
4
Lightning
23
3
1
0
Stuck rope (or stranded)
6
0
7
0
Skiing
3
1
0
0
Faulty use of crampons
7
0
1
0
Fall in river
3
0
0
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
63
0
0
0
Heat prostration
2
0
0
0
Illness Medical (incl. Pulm.
Edema)
87
1
17
2
Miscellaneous (incl. Frostbite)
16
5
0
1
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
298
22
26
1
Climbing alone
81
10
4
0
Exceeding abilities
(inexperienced)
219
24
32
4
Darkness
33
1
4
0
Inadequate equipment
86
5
26
0
Old rope
7
1
0
0
Piton failure
18
2
4
0
Bad weather
35
4
1
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
16
1
4
0
Party separated
28
2
1
0
1951-68
U.S.A.
1959-68
CAN.
1969
U.S.A.
CAN.
Age of Individuals
Boys
7
0
2
0
Under 15
48
2
2
2
15-20
352
20
44
4
“Young or college age”
7
1
0
0
21-25
244
12
36
3
26-30
123
23
22
2
31-35
86
3
3
1
Over 35
130
18
10
1
Unknown
108
19
1
5
Affiliation with Climbing Groups Unaffiliated
316
10
50
4
Not stated
346
26
31
8
Member of Mountaineering Club
443
62
39
6
Estimate of Experience
None or little
520
39
57
8
Moderate
295
27
35
3
Experienced
175
23
19
3
Unknown
115
9
9
4
Month of Year
January
31
1
4
0
February
51
4
9
4
March
50
0
5
0
April
68
1
6
0
May
107
7
11
1
June
116
9
19
8
July
244
47
15
1
August
197
23
19
1
September
117
4
9
0
October
53
1
5
1
November
43
0
10
0
December
19
0
7
1
Unknown
3
1
1
1