Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
Numbers Refer to Persons Directly Involved
1951-75
1959-75
1976
1976
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain1
Rock
1344
115
84
10
Snow
715
108
85
2
Ice
1
1
24
2
River
5
0
1
1
Unknown
10
2
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
1051
123
56
7
Descent
875
87
71
4
Unknown
135
8
10
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
773
57
62
6
Slip on snow or ice
258
30
43
2
Falling rock or object
175
40
8
2
Avalanche2
139
41
23
1
Exceed abilities
131
6
26
2
Exposure and/or exhaustion
100
2
5
0
Stranded
97
12
3
0
Failure of rappel
88
3
6
0
Loss of control—voluntary glissade
72
6
3
0
Failure of piton
58
4
0
3
Illness—including pulmonary
edema/frostbite 3
45
3
17
0
Fall into crevasse
36
11
17
1
Lightning
31
3
1
0
Faulty use of crampons
13
2
8
0
Failure to follow route
14
0
5
1
Skiing
8
4
4
0
Prussik/ascending device failure
3
0
0
0
Heat Prostration
3
0
0
0
Failure of nut
1
0
3
0
Other4
1
0
6
1
Unknown
19
2
1
1
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
490
47
9
2
Exceeding abilities
475
62
35
2
Inadequate equipment
210
17
16
3
Climbing alone
146
15
11
1
Bad weather
106
7
15
0
Failure of piton
59
5
0
0
Darkness
59
3
2
2
Party separated
40
6
11
0
Exposure and /or exhaustion
17
1
3
0
1951-75
1959-75
1976
1976
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Old rope
8
1
0
0
No hard hat
10
1
6
1
Failure to test holds
3
0
3
0
Placed no protection
4
0
7
0
Failure of nut
6
0
3
0
Waist /harness failure
1
1
0
1
Other4
—
—
5
0
Age of Individuals
Under 15
79
5
4
0
15-20
722
98
41
3
21-25
524
45
59
3
26-30
248
48
34
0
31-35
126
17
16
0
36-50
194
27
18
1
Over 50
4
0
Unknown
224
34
38
3
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
685
41
66
1
Affiliated
706
125
65
3
Unknown
676
20
61
6
Estimate of Experience
None or little
934
75
54
4
Moderate
540
59
48
1
Experienced
348
72
46
3
Unknown
269
19
51
2
Month of Year
January
81
3
2
0
February
76
14
15
0
March
109
3
16
1
April
109
3
19
1
May
175
11
24
2
June
335
32
25
1
July
371
77
51
5
August
364
63
21
4
September
210
8
9
0
October
110
6
5
2
November
68
1
6
0
December
8
2
9
0
Many accidents involve a combination of terrains.
This includes two avalanches which buried three ski tourers.
3This includes two cases of diabetics unable to make insulin adjustments at high altitudes. 4These include: a) practice belaying, b) using a poncho to slide down a steep snow slope, c) falling into a river, d) being pinned by a loose boulder, e) rappelling from a building, and f) a rope breaking.