Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
Numbers Refer to Number of Persons Involved
1951-70
U.S.A.
1959-70
CAN.
1971
U.S.A.
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
912
62
68
12
Snow
481
63
41
17
River
4
0
0
0
Unknown
1
2
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
677
73
59
21
Descent
632
48
47
8
Unknown
89
6
3
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
495
35
41
7
Failure of piton
33
2
1
0
Falling rock or object
129
17
6
2
Failure of rappel
61
2
5
0
Slip on snow or ice
195
25
13
2
Fall into crevasse
31
7
1
1
Loss of control — Voluntary
glissade
54
5
6
0
Avalanche
93
20
3
11
Lightning
24
3
1
0
Stuck rope (or stranded)
0
0
7
3
Skiing
4
1
0
1
Faulty use of crampons
8
0
0
1
Fall in river
99
4
2
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
66
1
14
0
Heat prostration
3
0
0
0
1951-70
U.S.A.
1959-70
CAN.
1971
U.S.A.
CAN.
Miscellaneous
Illness Medical (incl. Pulm. Edema and Frostbite
37
5
9
1
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
367
28
33
1
Climbing alone
100
20
9
1
Exceeding abilities
(inexperienced)
316
42
37
2
Darkness
35
1
0
1
Inadequate equipment
142
7
12
0
Old rope
8
1
0
0
Piton failure
29
2
8
0
Bad weather
40
4
11
2
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
27
0
4
1
Party separated
29
3
2
0
Age of Individuals
Boys
2
0
0
0
Under 15
45
4
6
0
15-20
470
30
42
3
21-25
313
18
24
12
26-30
167
26
13
9
31-35
95
7
8
2
Over 35
167
21
13
2
Unknown
139
21
3
1
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
526
71
49
8
Not stated
468
18
25
4
Member of Mountaineering Club
404
38
35
17
Estimate of Experience
None or little
648
51
58
5
Moderate
366
30
33
5
Experienced
224
31
15
19
Unknown
160
15
3
0
Month of Year
January
41
2
7
0
February
74
8
9
0
March
70
1
3
1
April
80
3
5
0
May
120
7
3
2
June
154
19
16
6
July
277
50
13
6
August
242
26
31
13
September
147
5
6
1
October
74
2
11
0
November
66
1
3
0
December
45
1
2
0
Unknown
8
2
0
0