Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
TABLE III
1951-03
USA
1959-03
CAN.
2004
USA
2004
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4141
503
96
18
Snow
2289
341
46
5
Ice
231
146
18
12
River
14
3
0
0
Unknown
22
9
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2735
555
118
23
Descent
2152
352
40
10
Unknown
247
10
1
2
OtherN.B.
6
0
1
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
2887
273
71
10
Slip on snow or ice
915
198
35
7
Falling rock, ice, or object
585
131
16
4
Exceeding abilities
500
29
25
1
Illness1
357
25
5
1
Stranded
310
49
13
3
Avalanche
276
120
2
5
Exposure
257
13
7
0
Rappel Failure/Error2
252
44
11
1
Loss of control/glissade
185
16
7
0
Nut/chock pulled out
183
8
8
1
Failure to follow route
164
29
7
0
Fall into crevasse/moat
152
48
1
2
Piton/ice screw pulled out
87
12
7
0
Faulty use of crampons
87
5
5
0
Lightning
45
7
1
0
Skiing3
50
10
1
1
Ascending too fast
61
0
3
0
Equipment failure
13
3
1
0
Other4
358
34
27
1
Unknown
60
9
1
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
960
161
19
2
Exceeding abilities
877
199
4
1
Placed no/inadequate protection
646
94
27
2
Inadequate equipment/clothing
630
68
21
0
Weather
442
63
10
1
Climbing alone
370
67
13
2
No hard hat
304
28
12
1
114 / ACCIDENTS IN NORTH AMERICAN MOUNTAINEERING 2005
1951-03
USA
1959-03
CAN
2004
USA
2004
CAN
Contributory Causes (continued)
Nut/chock pulled out
196
31
0
1
Inadequate belay
181
27
9
1
Darkness
134
20
2
0
Poor position
151
20
6
0
Party separated
110
10
3
2
Piton/ice screw pulled out
86
13
0
0
Failure to test holds
89
28
4
3
Exposure
57
13
0
0
Failed to follow directions
71
11
0
0
Illness1
39
9
0
0
Equipment failure
11
7
0
0
Other4
251
99
5
1
Age of Individuals
Under 15
123
12
2
0
15-20
1226
202
9
1
21-25
1304
246
33
5
26-30
1208
205
27
3
31-35
1011
110
18
2
36-50
1090
136
58
5
Over 50
191
27
15
2
Unknown
1900
504
33
13
Experience Level
None/Little
1676
294
48
5
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1494
354
50
0
Experienced
1718
427
79
6
Unknown
1915
511
43
24
Month of Year
January
202
23
7
2
February
196
51
2
4
March
279
66
13
2
April
381
33
8
5
May
847
55
18
2
June
979
65
30
4
July
1061
244
24
6
August
987
177
15
4
September
1136
70
11
4
October
415
38
20
0
November
175
14
5
2
December
86
24
7
0
Unknown
17
1
0
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
1049
206
67
10
Laceration
622
71
35
0
1951-03
USA
1959-03
CAN
2004
USA
2004
CAN
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984) (continued)
Abrasion
299
75
10
1
Bruise
406
77
27
4
Sprain/strain
281
29
24
2
Concussion
201
28
13
0
Hypothermia
144
15
3
1
Frostbite
112
9
4
0
Dislocation
99
15
10
1
Puncture
42
13
1
0
Acute Mountain Sickness
39
0
1
0
HAPE
65
0
1
0
HACE
23
0
0
0
Other5
274
43
20
4
None
184
182
23
6
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. We still have “Unknown” because of solo climbers.)
1These illnesses/injuries, which led directly or indirectly to the accident, included: AMS, deep vein thrombosis, tooth problems, HAPE, frostbite, and an acute abdomen.
2These include no back-up-knot—so rappelled off end of ropes, inadequate anchors, rope too short, improper use of descending device, inattention by belayer when lowering.
3This category was set up originally for ski mountaineering. Backcountry touring or snow- shoeing incidents—even if one gets avalanched—are not in the data.
4These include: hand or foothold broke off (10); frostbite (3); unable to self-arrest (7); rope ascender came off; failure to disclose medical condition to guides (2); dislocated shoulder while manding; rope jammed in crack; carrying ice ax upside down; bee attack; simul-climbing—so too much slack in rope; ice pillar broke off; threw whole rope down—so stranded; let go of ice tools; tied webbing knot incorrectly on rappel anchor—so came undone when weighted; late starts resulting in benighting (2); failure to follow instincts; wet rock (3); leader unable to communicate with belayer (2).
5These included: dehydration and exhaustion (5), DVT, rope burns on hands; kidney failure; collapsed lung; pneumo/hemothorax; heat exhaustion; multiple bee stings; internal injuries; acute abdomen (unknown problem); tooth problems; lightning burns.
(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.
A climber disappeared on Mt. Sir Sanford, but no details are known as to whether it was on ascent or descent or what the cause may have been so it is reported as “unknown.”