Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951-04
1959-04
2005
2005
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4237
521
73
7
Snow
2235
346
33
7
Ice
249
158
5
0
River
14
3
0
0
Unknown
22
9
0
1
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2853
578
61
9
Descent
2192
362
48
9
Unknown
248
12
2
1
OtherNB
7
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
2958
283
49
7
Slip on snow or ice
950
207
21
11
Falling rock, ice, or object
601
135
9
2
Exceeding abilities
525
30
10
2
Illness1
362
26
13
0
Stranded
323
52
6
1
Avalanche
278
125
6
2
Exposure
264
13
1
1
Rappel Failure/Error2
263
45
11
2
Loss of control/glissade
192
16
7
1
Nut/chock pulled out
191
9
5
0
Failure to follow route
171
29
5
1
Fall into crevasse/moat
153
50
0
0
Piton/ice screw pulled out
94
12
1
1
Faulty use of crampons
92
5
3
1
Lightning
46
7
0
0
Skiing3
51
11
2
0
Ascending too fast
64
0
1
0
Equipment failure
14
3
0
0
Other4
385
35
28
2
Unknown
61
9
0
1
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
979
163
8
2
Exceeding abilities
881
200
4
2
Placed no/inadequate protection
673
96
26
0
Inadequate equipment/clothing
651
68
13
2
Weather
452
64
10
3
Climbing alone
383
69
6
2
No hard hat
316
29
11
1
1951-04
1959-04
2005
2005
USA
CAN
USA
CAN
Contributory Causes (continued)
Nut/chock pulled out
196
32
3
0
Inadequate belay
190
28
7
0
Poor position
157
20
9
0
Darkness
136
20
4
1
Party separated
113
12
2
0
Failure to test holds
93
31
4
1
Piton/ice screw pulled out
86
13
0
0
Failed to follow directions
71
11
2
1
Exposure
57
13
2
3
Illness1
39
9
1
0
Equipment failure
11
7
0
0
Other4
256
100
0
0
Age of Individuals
Under 15
125
12
1
0
15–20
1235
203
8
0
21–25
1337
251
21
6
26–30
1235
208
22
3
31–35
1029
112
22
2
36–50
1148
138
29
5
Over 50
206
29
11
2
Unknown
1933
517
40
13
Experience Level
None/Little
1724
299
15
5
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1544
354
31
0
Experienced
1797
433
58
7
Unknown
1958
535
25
24
Month of Year
January
209
25
9
0
February
198
55
4
0
March
292
68
7
0
April
389
38
8
1
May
865
57
17
5
June
1009
69
17
1
July
1085
250
24
4
August
1002
181
9
3
September
1147
74
8
1
October
435
38
4
4
November
180
16
4
4
December
93
24
0
0
Unknown
17
1
0
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
1116
216
55
7
Laceration
657
71
13
0
1951-04
1959-04
2005
2005
USA
CAN
USA
CAN
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984) (continued)
Abrasion
309
76
12
0
Bruise
433
81
17
2
Sprain/strain
305
31
9
2
Concussion
214
28
10
0
Hypothermia
147
16
5
0
Frostbite
116
9
4
3
Dislocation
109
16
4
0
Puncture
43
13
0
0
Acute Mountain Sickness
40
0
2
0
HAPE
66
0
2
0
HACE
23
0
1
0
Other5
294
47
8
2
None
207
188
17
0
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.)
'These illnesses/injuries, which led directly or indirectly to the accident, included: exhaustion (9); dehydration; hypothermia; hypoxia; AMS; HAPE; HACE; frostbite; dislocation; fractured ankle; back strain—prior condition.
2These include: inadequate anchors (8); rappelled off the end of the rope (2); 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: unable to self-arrest (7); hand or foot hold broke off (5); pulled on stuck rope after rappel—lost balance and fell; miscommunication (4); late starts resulting in haste or darkness (3); failure to recognize signs and symptoms of AMS/HAPE; no spotter—bouldering (3); off route, rock dislodged by party above (2); slack in rope on glacier travel—crampons caught; misuse of Grigri; poor decision making—underestimated slope conditions and did not dig test snow pit.
5These included: dehydration and exhaustion (3); collapsed lung (2); tension pneumothorax (2); ruptured spleen; tooth—incisor split by falling rock.
(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.