Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951-02
1959-02
2003
2003
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4053
490
88
13
Snow
2262
339
27
2
Ice
228
133
3
13
River
14
3
0
0
Unknown
22
8
0
1
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2657
533
78
22
Descent
2112
347
40
5
Unknown
247
8
0
2
Other N.B.
6
0
0
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
2841
263
46
10
Slip on snow or ice
904
192
11
6
Falling rock, ice, or object
574
126
11
5
Exceeding abilities
489
29
11
0
Avalanche
275
118
1
2
Exposure
251
13
6
0
Illness 1
342
24
15
1
Stranded
305
47
5
2
Rappel Failure/Error2
252
44
14
0
Loss of control/glissade
184
16
1
0
Fall into crevasse/moat
152
46
0
2
Nut/chock pulled out
174
5
9
3
Failure to follow route
158
29
6
0
Piton/ice screw pulled out
87
12
0
0
Faulty use of crampons
83
5
4
0
Lightning
44
7
1
0
Skiing3
50
10
0
0
Ascending too fast
60
0
1
0
Equipment failure
13
3
0
0
Other4
332
33
26
1
Unknown
60
8
1
1
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
949
158
11
3
Exceeding abilities
871
199
6
0
Placed no/inadequate protection
625
92
21
2
Inadequate equipment/clothing
619
68
11
0
Weather
434
61
8
2
Climbing alone
362
64
8
3
No hard hat
296
28
8
0
Nut/chock pulled out
196
19
0
6
1951-01
1959-01
2002
2002
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Contributory Causes, cont.
Inadequate belay
171
25
10
2
Darkness
132
19
2
1
Poor position
147
20
4
0
Party separated
109
10
1
0
Piton/ice screw pulled out
85
12
1
1
Failure to test holds
88
26
1
2
Exposure
56
13
1
0
Failed to follow directions
70
11
1
0
Illness 1
39
9
0
0
Equipment failure
11
7
0
0
Other4
248
98
3
1
Age of Individuals
Under 15
122
12
1
0
15-20
1219
201
7
1
21-25
1283
240
21
6
26-30
1170
201
38
4
31-35
1000
108
11
2
36-50
1046
134
44
2
Over 50
181
24
10
3
Unknown
1867
494
33
10
Experience Level
None/Little
1635
294
41
0
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1460
354
34
0
Experienced
1659
419
59
8
Unknown
1881
490
34
21
Month of Year
January
201
20
1
3
February
193
47
3
4
March
276
66
3
0
April
376
33
5
0
May
829
53
18
2
June
959
64
20
1
July
1037
240
24
4
August
971
171
16
6
September
1124
68
12
2
October
400
34
15
4
November
174
13
1
1
December
86
23
0
1
Unknown
17
1
0
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since I984)
Fracture
995
195
54
11
Laceration
602
67
22
4
Abrasion
288
74
11
1
1951-01
1959-01
2002
2002
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since I984), cont.
Bruise
377
76
29
1
Sprain/strain
269
27
12
2
Concussion
196
24
5
4
Hypothermia
138
15
6
0
Frostbite
106
9
6
0
Dislocation
95
12
4
3
Puncture
39
11
3
2
Acute Mountain Sickness
37
0
2
0
HAPE
63
0
2
0
HACE
21
0
2
0
Other5
258
43
16
0
None
176
179
8
3
N B Some accidents happen when climbers are at the top or bottom of a route, not climbing. They may be setting up a belay or rappel or are just not anchored when they fall. (This category created in 2001 to replace “unknown.”)
1These illnesses/injuries, which led directly or indirectly to the accident, included: dehydration and exhaustion (6), fatigue (1), HAPE, HACE (4), AMS (3), colitis, back strain.
2These include no back-up-knot—so rappelled off end of ropes, inadequate anchors, rope too short, improper use of descending device, improper technique (military “butterfly” rappel) by someone with no experience.
3This category was set up originally for ski mountaineering. Backcountry touring or snowshoeing incidents—even if one gets avalanched—are not in the data.
4These include: dislodged rocks (11); handhold broke off (3); frostbite (3); unable to self-arrest; late start, route crowded, party too large; lowered off end of top- roped belay; poor leadership, impatience; ankle sprain; knee—medial and lateral ligaments; party separated—inadequate wands for others to follow; partner inadvertently unclipped from protection on ledge.
5These included: dehydration and exhaustion (6), colitis, knee—medial and lateral ligaments, back strain, lightning burns (5), pneumothorax, and lacerated liver.
(Editor’s Note: Under the category “other,” many of the particular items will have been recorded under a general category. For example, the climber who dislodges a rock that falls on another climber would be coded as Falling Rock/Object, or the climber who has a hand hold come loose and falls would also be coded as Fall On Rock.
There was an accident in Alaska on the Devil’s Thumb, outside the village of Petersburg, but no details are known as to the cause, so it is reported as “unknown.” The two experienced climbers from Vancouver are presumed dead.)