Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
TABLE III
1951-94
1959-94
1995
1995
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
3252
384
117
14
Snow
1957
293
43
4
Ice
172
78
8
6
River
12
3
0
0
Unknown
22
6
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2957
410
113
12
Descent
1789
274
54
12
Unknown3
246
3
1
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
2147
205
77
7
Slip on snow or ice
725
148
29
4
Falling rock, ice or object
451
104
16
1
Exceeding abilities
357
27
24
0
Avalanche
247
103
2
2
Exposure
225
12
6
0
Illness1
246
20
9
0
Stranded
221
46
18
2
Rappel Failure/Error
173
29
15
4
Loss of control/glissade
159
15
5
0
Fall into crevasse/moat
122
37
3
1
Failure to follow route
109
18
4
2
Piton pulled out
83
12
1
0
Nut/chock pulled out
82
3
6
0
Faulty use of crampons
55
5
3
0
Lightning
39
6
0
0
Skiing
41
9
3
0
Ascending too fast
43
0
0
0
Equipment failure
5
2
0
0
Other2
151
15
22
3
Unknown3
58
8
1
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
858
139
17
4
Exceeding abilities
813
153
6
1
Inadequate equipment/clothing
513
66
18
2
Placed no/inadequate protection
387
51
30
0
Weather
354
42
8
4
Climbing alone
298
52
9
1
No hard hat
205
21
11
1
Nut/chock pulled out
154
16
6
0
Darkness
105
14
5
1
Party separated
92
16
3
0
Piton pulled out
82
10
0
0
1951-94
1959-94
1995
1995
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Contributory Causes (cont.)
Poor position
96
12
7
1
Inadequate belay
92
12
8
6
Failure to test holds
63
16
2
2
Exposure
53
10
1
0
Failed to follow directions
53
5
3
0
Illness1
29
4
3
0
Equipment failure
8
4
1
0
Other2
207
79
13
4
Age of Individuals
Under 15
110
11
2
0
15-20
1112
193
11
3
21-25
1347
221
45
1
26-30
955
185
40
1
31-35
562
92
26
1
36-50
746
104
54
3
Over 50
116
16
8
2
Unknown
811
429
25
37
Experience Level
None/Little
1429
269
20
13
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1280
334
23
6
Experienced
1216
350
70
13
Unknown
1294
241
81
18
Month of Year
January
170
10
3
2
February
168
36
7
1
March
228
41
8
1
April
307
27
13
1
May
672
42
11
1
Tune
786
50
18
1
July
866
206
29
3
J J
August
774
117
37
2
September
1015
46
20
10
October
306
29
17
1
November
146
5
3
0
December
58
16
2
0
Unknown
4
0
0
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data
Fracture
since 1984)
664
111
69
9
Laceration
296
43
36
3
Abrasion
172
35
10
2
Bruise
177
49
31
1
Sprain/strain
160
13
10
5
Concussion
86
11
23
1
Frostbite
70
4
6
2
Hypothermia
73
10
10
0
1951-94
1959-94
1995
1995
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Type of Injury/Illness (cont.)
Dislocation
57
6
7
0
Puncture
25
3
0
1
Acute Mountain Sickness
13
0
1
0
HAPE
46
0
1
0
CE
11
0
3
0
Other1
154
26
19
1
None
58
3
24
28
lThese include: a) exhaustion (6); b) atrial fibrillation; c) gastrointestinal bleeding; d) myoscopic hematoma (2); e) hypothermia (7); f) possible umbilical hernia; g) frostbite (2); h) dehydration (6); i) severed spinal cord; j) tom meniscus; k) neurological damage-head; 1) 50 bee stings; m) flail chest; n) lacerated pancreas; o) ETOH; p) heatstroke.
2These include: a late start (5); b) wet rock (3); c) haste to: complete route (5), to meet a schedule, to catch thieves raiding packs at bottom, and to get to the bar; d) crowded route-rock fall; e) cornice collapse (2); f) trying to catch ice ax dropped from above; g) lost balance—tripped (3); h) over confident; i) bees (2); j) rope jammed while prussiking-stranded; k) unable to self-arrest; 1) fell while setting up rappel (2); m) misperception-route research; n) failed to follow directions (2); o) inadequate supervision; p) poor navigation (2); q) fell attempting to retrieve stuck rappel ropes.
3Probably a fall-on Mount Hood.
(Editor's Note: Under the “other” category, many of the particular items will have been recorded under a general category. For example, the climber who fell into his unanchored partner knocking him off would be coded as Fall on Rock, Falling Rock/Object, and Placed Inadequate Protection.. The point in this category is to provide the reader with some added detail. It should be apparent that many of these details can be translated into a few basic categories.)