Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951-87
1959-87
1988
1988
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
2528
309
99
12
Snow
1443
253
48
1
Ice
114
50
9
5
River
12
3
0
0
Unknown
18
6
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2223
315
112
12
Descent
1471
225
40
3
Unknown
231
42
4
3
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
1625
153
71
4
Slip on snow or ice
581
116
15
4
Falling rock or object
342
93
25
3
Exceeding abilities
278
27
12
0
Avalanche
220
91
4
2
Exposure
187
12
5
0
Stranded
159
38
5
0
Illness1
161
12
19
2
Failure of Rappel
135
18
2
1
Loss of control/voluntary glissade
131
12
2
0
Fall into crevasse/moat
97
29
4
0
Piton pulled out
69
12
0
0
Failure to follow route
83
18
1
0
Faulty use of crampons
43
4
3
0
Lightning
34
5
1
0
Skiing
30
9
0
0
Nut/chock pulled out
33
3
7
0
Ascending too fast
15
0
14
0
Equipment failure
4
2
0
0
Other2
65
9
5
1
Unknown
46
8
2
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
741
98
10
1
Exceeding abilities
705
122
12
1
Inadequate equipment
431
48
8
2
Weather
265
29
9
1
Climbing alone
232
37
13
2
Placed no/inadequate protection
216
22
30
1
Darkness
88
12
3
0
Nut/chock pulled out
106
4
11
2
No hard hat
114
13
13
0
Piton pulled out
76
10
1
0
Party separated
69
13
5
1
Exposure
43
9
2
0
Failure to test holds
47
11
1
2
Inadequate belay
30
5
6
0
Poor position
29
5
15
1
Failed to follow directions
22
1
15
0
Illness1
24
3
1
1
Equipment failure
5
2
0
0
Other2
104
28
10
1
1951-87
1959-87
1988
1988
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Age of Individuals
Under 15
96
11
1
0
15-20
1012
176
9
0
21-25
1131
195
24
3
26-30
689
144
46
6
31-35
353
65
28
7
36-50
465
79
32
1
Over 50
62
10
9
0
Unknown
595
290
31
5
Experience Level
None/Little
1266
227
24
1
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1112
239
24
5
Experienced
888
249
62
13
Unknown
898
192
70
3
Month of Year
January
132
6
5
1
February
140
29
6
1
March
191
33
5
0
April
234
20
11
0
May
463
34
39
0
June
609
35
22
1
July
710
174
15
5
August
627
176
20
4
September
919
30
14
2
October
237
26
10
0
November
119
3
5
0
December
38
10
4
2
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
270
28
59
9
Bruise
69
7
14
2
Abrasion
84
5
10
2
Laceration
122
8
27
3
Sprain/strain
62
8
16
0
Concussion
28
5
8
2
Dislocation
14
2
8
1
Puncture
10
2
5
0
Frostbite
22
0
8
0
HAPE
15
0
14
0
Acute Mountain Sickness
6
0
3
0
CE
2
0
2
0
Hypothermia
23
5
7
0
Other
61
9
15
5
None
17
3
0
1
2These include: a) rope severed by falling rock; b) inadequate food/water; c) fall while cleaning protection; d) rappel device somehow came off; e) rope “came untied” from harness; f) inadequate area security; g) ice ax pulled out when used for protection; h) inadequate conditioning; i) bolt pulled out; j) inattention; k) leg caught in rope; l) removed glasses - couldn’t see (2); m) sling became unattached from top anchor while climber was being lowered via sling-shot belay.