Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
TABLE III
Numbers Refer to Persons Directly Involved
1951-76
1959-76
1977
1977
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain1
Rock
1428
127
70
26
Snow
800
110
41
35
Ice
25
3
9
1
River
6
1
1
1
Unknown
10
2
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
1107
132
55
25
Descent
946
91
45
8
Unknown
145
8
16
4
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
835
64
42
8
Slip on snow or ice
301
32
27
18
Falling rock or object
183
42
19
14
Avalanche
164
41
2
22
Exceed abilities
157
9
9
0
Exposure and/or exhaustion
105
2
10
4
Stranded
100
12
4
0
Failure of rappel
94
3
3
0
Loss of control—voluntary glissade
75
6
5
0
Failure of piton
58
7
0
2
Illness—including pulmonary edema/frostbite
62
3
5
1
Fall into crevasse
53
12
3
3
Lightning
34
3
0
0
Faulty use of crampons
21
2
0
0
Failure to follow route
19
1
4
3
Skiing
12
4
1
0
Prussik/ascending device failure
3
0
0
0
Heat Prostration
3
0
0
0
Failure of nut
4
0
4
1
Other2
7
1
7
4
Unknown
20
3
1
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
499
49
13
2
Exceeding abilities
510
64
12
2
Inadequate equipment
226
20
17
4
Climbing alone
157
16
8
0
Bad weather
121
7
13
0
Failure of piton
59
5
0
0
Darkness
61
5
3
0
Party separated
51
6
1
0
Exposure and/or exhaustion
20
1
4
0
1951-76
1959-76
1977
1977
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN
Old rope
8
1
0
0
No hard hat
16
2
1
0
Failure to test holds
6
0
3
1
Placed no protection
11
0
7
0
Failure of nut
9
0
6
0
Waist/harness failure
1
1
0
0
Other2
5
0
3
0
Age of Individuals
Under 15
83
5
2
0
15—20
763
101
31
7
21—25
583
50
38
10
26—30
282
48
24
9
31—35
142
17
20
2
36—50
212
28
7
12
Over 50
4
0
1
0
Unknown
262
37
9
25
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
751
42
30
10
Affiliated
771
128
22
16
Unknown
738
26
50
23
Estimate of Experience
None or little
988
79
26
10
Moderate
588
60
22
13
Experienced
394
75
33
13
Unknown
320
21
35
29
Month of Year
January
83
3
3
0
February
91
14
4
1
March
125
5
4
15
April
128
4
4
1
May
199
13
20
2
June
360
33
20
2
July
422
82
22
15
August
385
67
23
16
September
219
8
13
2
October
115
8
6
4
November
74
1
3
0
December
17
2
0
1
'Many accidents involve a combination ot terrains.
2These include: a) panic because of terrain; b) vegetation for anchor point; c) climbing in closed area; d) snakes causing panic; e) belayer who failed to hold the second below him the latter dropping 90 feet with no injury; f) half-inch frayed webbing on protection piece broke-on a 5.10 route; g) attempting to retrieve a jammed rope.