Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
1951–08
1959–04
2009
2009
USA
CAN
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
4530
528
77
Snow
2367
355
41
Ice
270
15
8
River
15
3
0
Unknown
22
10
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
3589
587
79
Descent
1023
371
45
Unknown
250
13
1
OtherNB
7
0
2
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
3589
290
59
Slip on snow or ice
1023
207
27
Falling rock, ice, or object
626
137
10
Exceeding abilities
550
32
5
Illness1
400
26
9
Stranded
345
53
6
Avalanche
294
127
5
Rappel Failure/Error2
297
47
6
Exposure
275
14
3
Loss of control/glissade
211
17
4
Nut/chock pulled out
236
9
7
Failure to follow route
188
30
25
Fall into crevasse/moat
165
50
2
Faulty use of crampons
109
6
6
Piton/ice screw pulled out
95
13
0
Ascending too fast
66
0
1
Skiing3
56
11
2
Lightning
46
7
0
Equipment failure
15
3
1
Other4
491
37
31
Unknown
61
10
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
1013
165
8
Exceeding abilities
915
202
2
Placed no/inadequate protection
762
96
32
Inadequate equipment/clothing
690
70
11
Weather
479
67
2
Climbing alone
404
69
4
No hard hat
348
71
6
1951-08
1959-04
2009
2009
USA
CAN
USA
CAN
Contributory Causes
Inadequate belay
218
28
10
Nut/chock pulled out
201
32
0
Poor position
185
20
3
Darkness
146
21
4
Party separated
117
12
0
Failure to test holds
101
32
4
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
268
100
3
Age of Individuals
Under 15
1246
12
0
15-20
1281
203
7
21-25
1420
257
19
26-30
1303
211
24
31-35
1093
114
13
36-50
1267
143
40
Over 50
270
31
14
Unknown
2002
530
27
Experience Level
None/Little
1777
304
8
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1635
354
15
Experienced
2039
440
60
Unknown
2083
559
55
Month of Year
January
235
25
6
February
210
55
3
March
315
68
6
April
410
39
11
May
938
62
19
June
1081
70
19
July
1154
254
20
August
1057
184
18
September
1184
75
7
October
466
42
8
November
199
20
4
December
100
24
5
Unknown
17
1
0
1951-08
1959-04
2009
2009
USA
CAN
USA
CAN
Type of Injury/Illness (Data since 1984)
Fracture
1303
223
49
Laceration
720
71
17
Abrasion
348
76
13
Bruise
496
83
16
Sprain/strain
372
33
13
Concussion
257
28
9
Hypothermia
160
16
2
Frostbite
132
12
2
Dislocation
125
16
12
Puncture
45
13
7
Acute Mountain Sickness
45
0
0
RAPE
73
0
1
HACE
25
0
0
Other5
331
49
19
None
248
188
17
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: minor foot injury from tight boots; chest pain (1 infection and 1 blocked artery); extreme fatigue and low O2 sat. level; lower leg injuries; hypothermia; heart attack; hand-burn (from belay rope); dehydration; dislocation/sprain/strain—so had to be lowered (3).
2These included: rope diameter too small for Grigri; rope too short; no knot in end of rope; gear sling caught on rock—strangling climber.
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 included: unable to self-arrest (8); failure to turn back (4); handhold/foothold came loose (4); ice came loose/gave away (2); ran out of food/water and no working stoves; misread snowpack; two bolt hangers “failed”; running rope through webbing—burned through; miscommunication (3); rappelling/lowering—rope too short (3), no knots in ends (3), rope diameter too small for Grigri; ice block came off (2); rappel rope stuck in crack; late start; fell on partner; dove on partner to stop fall; strangled in gear sling.
5These included: major chest pain (2); heart attack; extreme fatigue/low O2 sat.; dehydration; hand burned by belay rope.
(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.)