Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951–69 U.S.A.
1959–69 CAN.
U.S.A.
1970 CAN
Terrain
Rock
777
59
127
3
Snow
446
55
35
4
River
3
0
1
0
Unknown
1
2
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
600
62
70
5
Descent
564
50
70
2
Unknown
63
4
23
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
437
35
54
1
Failure of piton
27
1
6
1
Falling rock or object
122
15
8
1
Failure of rappel
57
2
5
0
Slip on snow or ice
178
23
17
2
Fall into crevasse
30
6
1
0
Loss of control— Voluntary
glissade
51
4
3
1
Avalanche
88
17
5
0
Lightning
24
3
0
0
Stuck rope (or stranded)
13
0
52
0
Skiing
3
1
1
0
Faulty use of crampons
8
0
0
0
Fall in river
3
0
0
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
64
0
1
1
Heat prostration
2
0
0
0
Illness Medical (inch Pulm.
Edema)
104
3
6
0
Miscellaneous (includ. Frostbite)
16
6
4
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
324
23
47
3
Climbing alone
85
10
11
1
Exceeding abilities
( inexperienced )
251
28
69
1
Darkness
37
1
8
0
Inadequate equipment
113
5
39
1
Old rope
7
1
1
0
Piton failure
22
2
6
0
Bad weather
37
4
3
1
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
20
1
6
0
Party separated
29
2
5
0
1951–69 U.S.A.
1959–69 CAN.
U.S.A.
1970 CAN
Age of Individuals
Boys
9
0
0
0
Under 15
51
4
4
0
15–20
396
24
67
3
“Young or college age”
7
1
3
0
21–25
281
15
24
2
26–30
145
25
21
1
31–35
89
4
6
1
Over 35
140
19
9
0
Unknown
109
24
29
0
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
367
14
96
3
Not stated
378
34
29
1
Member of Mountaineering Club
482
68
38
3
Estimate of Experience
None or little
578
47
74
3
Moderate
330
30
27
1
Experienced
194
26
29
3
Unknown
135
13
33
0
Month of Year
January
35
1
4
0
February
60
8
10
0
March
55
0
14
1
April
74
1
7
0
May
118
8
15
1
June
136
17
17
0
July
259
48
18
3
August
217
24
22
0
September
126
4
18
1
October
58
2
18
0
November
53
0
10
1
December
26
1
5
0
Unknown
4
2
5
0