Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
Numbers Refer to Number of Persons Involved
1951-66
1959-66
1967
Terrain
U.S.A.
CAN.
U.S.A.
CAN.
Rock
582
28
52
1
Snow
324
26
53
3
River
3
0
0
0
Unknown
0
2
1
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
443
30
48
1
Descent
412
22
52
3
Unknown
54
4
6
0
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
334
14
27
1
Failure of piton
20
1
1
0
Falling rock or object
88
8
12
0
Failure of rappel
46
1
4
0
Slip on snow or ice
135
11
18
2
Fall into crevasse
22
4
5
1
Loss of control — Voluntary
glissade
44
3
4
0
Avalanche
64
7
8
0
Lightning
21
3
2
0
Stuck rope
6
0
0
0
Skiing
2
0
0
0
Faulty use of crampons
5
0
2
0
Fall in river
3
0
0
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
44
0
7
0
Heat prostration
2
0
0
0
Illness Medical (incl. Pulm. Edema)
69
0
15
0
Miscellaneous (incl. Frostbite)
4
4
1
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
242
12
28
2
Climbing alone
67
6
6
2
Exceeding abilities
(inexperience)
156
13
32
1
Darkness
21
0
1
0
Inadequate equipment
46
0
14
0
Old rope
5
0
1
0
Piton failure
16
2
1
0
Bad weather
20
4
13
0
Exposure and/or Exhaustion
11
0
5
0
Party separated
23
2
4
0
1951-66
1959-66
1967
U.S.A.
CAN.
U.S.A. CAN.
Age of Individuals
Boys
7
0
0
0
Under 15
37
2
9
0
15-20
299
12
27
1
“Young or college age”
7
1
0
0
21-25
199
6
27
1
26-30
90
12
15
1
31-35
69
1
8
0
Over 35
103
10
14
1
Unknown
98
12
6
0
Affiliation with Climbing Groups
Unaffiliated
244
10
44
0
Not stated
292
9
18
2
Member of Mountaineering Club
373
37
44
2
Estimate of Experience
None or little
430
23
48
1
Moderate
243
14
28
1
Experienced
130
15
26
1
Unknown
106
4
4
1
Month of Year
January
25
1
4
0
February
47
1
3
0
March
37
0
8
0
April
54
1
10
0
May
85
2
3
0
June
98
5
3
0
July
202
29
32
3
August
167
15
21
0
September
89
1
16
1
October
46
0
4
0
November
38
0
1
0
December
18
0
1
0
Unknown
3
1
0
0