Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951-06
USA
1959-04
CAN.
2007
USA
2007
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4378
528
75
Snow
2304
355
32
Ice
259
158
7
River
14
3
0
Unknown
22
10
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2926
587
68
Descent
2227
371
46
Unknown
249
13
0
OtherNB-
7
0
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
3467
290
55
Slip on snow or ice
990
207
20
Falling rock, ice, or object
614
137
9
Exceeding abilities
540
32
7
Illness1
382
26
11
Stranded
335
53
4
Avalanche
286
127
3
Rappel Failure/Error2
284
47
7
Exposure
270
14
2
Loss of control/glissade
206
17
1
Nut/chock pulled out
206
9
14
Failure to follow route
179
30
7
Fall into crevasse/moat
159
50
4
Faulty use of crampons
102
6
5
Piton/ice screw pulled out
95
13
0
Ascending too fast
65
0
1
Skiing3
55
11
1
Lightning
46
7
0
Equipment failure
15
3
0
Other4
438
37
28
Unknown
61
10
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
1004
165
3
Exceeding abilities
895
202
10
Placed no/inadequate protection
714
96
22
Inadequate equipment/clothing
672
70
11
Weather
467
67
4
Climbing alone
394
69
3
No hard hat
337
71
6
1951-06
USA
1959-04
CAN
2007
USA
2007
CAN
Contributory Causes (continued)
Inadequate belay
202
28
7
Nut/chock pulled out
199
32
1
Poor position
168
20
9
Darkness
141
21
5
Party separated
117
12
2
Failure to test holds
100
32
1
Piton/ice screw pulled out
86
13
0
Failed to follow directions
73
12
0
Exposure
64
16
0
Illness1
40
9
0
Equipment failure
11
7
0
Other4
260
100
4
Age of Individuals
Under 15
1243
12
2
15-20
12 66
203
5
21-25
1388
257
19
26-30
1273
211
15
31-35
1063
114
17
36-50
1207
143
30
Over 50
226
31
21
Unknown
1959
530
18
Experience Level
None/Little
1759
304
9
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1595
354
24
Experienced
1902
440
72
Unknown
2025
559
20
Month of Year
January
224
25
5
February
206
55
4
March
303
68
4
April
401
39
6
May
900
62
18
June
1044
70
16
July
1121
254
13
August
1027
184
19
September
1165
75
14
October
448
42
6
November
188
20
6
December
97
24
3
Unknown
17
1
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
1219
223
40
1951-06
USA
1959-04
CAN
2007
USA
2007
CAN
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984) (Continued)
Laceration
685 71
18
Abrasion
330
76
9
Bruise
462
83
15
Sprain/strain
331
33
19
Concussion
225
28
10
Hypothermia
154
16
2
Frostbite
125
12
0
Dislocation
117
16
8
Puncture
44
13
1
Acute Mountain Sickness
43
0
1
HAPE
71
0
1
HACE
25
0
0
Other5
315
49
8
None
225
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.)
'These illnesses/injuries, which led directly or indirectly to the accident, include fatigue (3), snow blindness (2), hypothermia, dislocated shoulder reaching for a hold (2), and AMS.
2These include rappelled off the end of the rope, uneven ropes, mistook 5m mark for middle of rope, attached climbing rope to gear loop on harness, and lowering errors (5).
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 failure to disclose medical Hx to guide (2), failed to wear eye protection (2), overconfidence, became ill because he was “psyched by the big wall”, jumped into a crevasse while wearing crampons, injured while doing a pendulum, ice ax on pack instead of in hand (3), unable to self-arrest, climber fell because he dislodged a rock, lost (on descent from Camp Muir), failure to follow instincts, inadequate supervision, poor communication, and rock thrown from ridge deliberately.
5These included snow blindness (2); seizures; atrial fibrillation; tension pneumothorax (2); bruised lung; early stage exhaustion, fatigue and hypothermia; teeth knocked out, severed artery, vein, and ligament; crushed his fingers when he dislodged a 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. 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.)