Reported Mountaineering Accidents, Table III
TABLE III
1951-92
1959-92
1993
1993
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Terrain
Rock
3045
354
96
13
Snow
1879
280
31
6
Ice
162
69
5
8
River
12
3
0
0
Unknown
22
6
0
0
Ascent or Descent
Ascent
2759
377
90
18
Descent
1701
257
39
8
Unknown
242
1
3
1
Immediate Cause
Fall or slip on rock
1988
186
72
9
Slip on snow or ice
692
138
11
6
Falling rock, ice or object
423
102
12
1
Exceeding abilities
340
27
11
0
Avalanche
243
95
2
6
Exposure
214
12
5
0
Illness1
213
17
11
3
Stranded
201
41
7
2
Rappel Falure/Error
159
24
2
2
Loss of control/glissade
154
14
3
0
Fall into crevasse/moat
118
36
3
1
Failure to follow route
101
18
2
0
Piton pulled out
70
12
1
0
Nut/chock pulled out
65
3
8
0
Faulty use of crampons
51
5
1
0
Lightning
39
6
0
0
Skiing
40
9
1
0
Ascending too fast
33
0
7
0
Equipment failure
5
2
0
0
Other2
116
14
13
0
Unknown
49
8
9
0
Contributory Causes
Climbing unroped
822
130
14
8
Exceeding abilities
785
146
12
6
Inadequate equipment
490
63
14
2
Placed no/inadequate protection
327
41
24
6
Weather
326
38
15
1
Climbing alone
284
50
7
2
No hard hat
178
19
11
0
Nut/chock pulled out
148
12
4
0
Darkness
102
13
1
1
Party separated
89
15
1
1
Piton pulled out
81
10
1
0
1951-92
1959-92
1993
1993
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Poor position
84
10
5
2
Inadequate belay
67
9
7
2
Failure to test holds
61
14
1
1
Exposure
52
9
1
0
Failed to follow directions
49
5
2
0
Illness1
27
4
0
0
Equipment failure
8
4
0
0
Other2
190
63
7
15
Age of Individuals
Under 15
106
11
1
0
15-20
1076
193
17
0
21-25
1295
217
26
4
26-30
881
176
34
7
31-35
514
85
21
5
36-50
673
93
43
2
Over 50
96
14
5
0
Unknown
751
354
24
32
Experience Level
None/Little
1372
256
24
5
Moderate (1 to 3 years)
1238
305
9
15
Experienced
1129
311
35
22
Unknown
1124
214
92
8
Month of Year
January
159
9
2
1
February
163
32
2
4
March
218
36
4
5
April
288
27
11
0
May
605
38
26
3
Tune
733
42
25
3
July
832
196
11
0
August
730
102
15
8
September
991
42
13
2
October
283
29
15
0
November
140
5
4
1
December
54
16
0
0
Unknown
0
0
4
0
Type of Injury/Illness (Data
Fracture
since 1984)
546
78
48
20
Laceration
234
29
22
2
Abrasion
145
22
9
7
Bruise
147
27
9
7
Sprain/strain
130
12
12
1
Concussion
68
10
10
1
Frostbite
57
4
9
0
Hypothermia
49
7
11
0
1951-92
1959-92
1993
1993
USA
CAN.
USA
CAN.
Type of Injury/Illness (cont.)
Dislocation
43
5
6
1
Puncture
20
2
1
1
Sub-Acute Mountain Sickness
11
0
0
0
HAPE
40
0
4
0
CE
6
0
1
0
Other1
125
21
14
2
None
49
3
4
0
1hese include: a) fatigue (7); b) HAPE (4); c) CE; d) hypoxia; e) hypothermia; f) pul monary embolism; g) diarrhea; h) internal - unspecified (2); i) dehydration (5) - not enough fluid intake at altitude; j) lung collapse; k) shoulder (1) & knee (2) dislocation.
2These include: a) proximity to summit—decision to go on instead of turning back(2); b) continuing to ascend while ill; c) frostbite; d) using stove in tent—no ventilation; e) agitated because piton indicated in guide book was not in place; f) rappel rope stuck; g) hold broke off; h) ice collapse (3); i) misjudged difficulty of route and ran out of wa ter; j) arms gave out; k) rock anchor horn and chockstone used on sling shot belay failed; 1) climbing in the dark; m) “showing off;” n) inadequate rope length—lowering; o) ice tools pulled out.
(Editor’s Note: There were four accidents in Illinois about which we had little or no details, and they account for the “unknown ” category under Month of Year and Type of Injury.
Under the “other” category, many of the particular items will have been recorded under a general category. For example, the rock anchor horn on the sling shot belay that came off is recorded under “placed no/ inadequate equipment. ” The point in this cat egory is to provide the reader with some added detail. It should be apparent that many of these details can be translated into a few basic categories.)