Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951-05
1959-05
2006 2006
USA
CAN.
USA CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4310
528
68
Snow
2268
355
36
Ice
254
158
5
River
14
3
0
Unknown
22
10
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2853
587
73
Descent
2192
371
35
Unknown
248
13
1
Other™
7
0
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
3407
290
60
Slip on snow or ice
971
207
19
Falling rock, ice, or object
610
137
4
Exceeding abilities
535
32
5
Illness1
375
26
7
Stranded
329
53
6
Avalanche
284
127
2
Exposure
265
14
5
Rappel Failure/Error2
274
47
10
Loss of control/glissade
199
17
7
Nut/chock pulled out
196
9
10
Failure to follow route
176
30
3
Fall into crevasse/moat
153
50
6
Piton/ice screw pulled out
95
13
0
Faulty use of crampons
95
6
7
Lightning
46
7
0
Skiing3
53
11
2
Ascending too fast
65
0
0
Equipment failure
14
3
1
Other4
413
37
25
Unknown
61
10
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
987
165
17
Exceeding abilities
885
202
10
Placed no/inadequate protection
15
Inadequate equipment/clothing
664
70
8
Weather
462
67
5
Climbing alone
389
69
5
No hard hat
327
71
10
1951-05
1959-05
2006 2006
USA
CAN
USA CAN
Nut/chock pulled out
199
32
0
Inadequate belay
197
28
5
Poor position
166
20
2
Darkness
140
21
1
Party separated
115
12
2
Failure to test holds
97
32
3
Piton/ice screw pulled out
86
13
0
Failed to follow directions
73
12
0
Exposure
59
16
5
Illness1
40
9
0
Equipment failure
11
7
0
Other4
256
100
4
Age of Individuals
Under 15
1243
12
0
15-20
1258
203
8
21-25
1358
257
30
26-30
1257
211
16
31-35
1051
114
12
36-50
1177
143
30
Over 50
217
31
9
Unknown
1947
530
22
Experience Level
None/Little
1739
304
20
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1575
354
20
Experienced
1855
440
47
Unknown
1983
559
42
Month of Year
January
218
25
6
February
202
55
4
March
299
68
4
April
397
39
4
May
882
62
18
June
1026
70
18
July
1109
254
12
August
1011
184
16
September
1155
75
10
October
439
42
9
November
184
20
4
December
93
24
4
Unknown
17
1
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
1171
223
48
Laceration
670
71
15
1951-05
1959-05
2006 2006
USA
CAN
USA CAN
Abrasion
321
76
9
Bruise
450
83
12
Sprain/strain
314
33
17
Concussion
215
28
10
Hypothermia
152
16
2
Frostbite
120
12
5
Dislocation
113
16
4
Puncture
43
13
1
Acute Mountain Sickness
42
0
1
HAPE
68
0
3
HACE
24
0
1
Other5
302
49
13
None
224
188
14
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. The category unknown is primarily because of solo climbers.)
1These illnesses/injuries, which led directly or indirectly to the accident, include: severe ischemia & coronary occlusion, HAPE, HACE, AMS, frostbite, pneumonia, corneal abrasion, burns (2), panic attack, mental breakdown, hypothermia, myocardial infarction, and fatigue (4).
2These include inadequate anchors, rappelled off the end of the rope, uneven ropes, harness loop broke, inattention by belayers when lowering.
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: unable to self-arrest (5), lowering errors (5), late start (3) hand- or foot-hold broke off (5), rope-drag, disappeared, fuel bottle blew up, rope stuck in crack, via ferrata, weighted leg incorrectly—so dislocated knee, climbing rope under leg while leading—so climber turned upside down in fall, jumped off boulder, client falls into another client on fixed rope (Denali), failed to follow avalanche advisory.
5These include: severe ischemia & coronary occlusion, pneumonia, corneal abrasion, burns —fuel bottle explosion (2) and rope (2), panic attack, mental breakdown, hypothermia, myocardial infarction, and fatigue
(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. A climber who has a hand- or foot-hold come loose and falls would be coded as Fall On Rock and Other—and most often includes Failure To Test Holds.)