The Himalaya by the Numbers: A Statistical Analysis - Himalayan ...

Summit and the Hillary Step (9 of 21 deaths). For the north side, the reverse is true:
physio logical causes (18) outstrip falls (10) with more than half of the deaths occurring
between the First and Second Steps (22 of 35 deaths). The five disappearances most
likely are from falls or physiological causes leading to falls. The preponderance of
physiological deaths on the north side may be due to climbers spending more time
above 8000m since their highest camp is normally at 8300m, 400m higher than the
high camp at 7900m on the South Col.
Avalanche Deaths
Avalanches have always been a major concern to Himalayan climbers. They can strike
at anytime without warning, wreak havoc on camps, and they have snuffed out the
lives of some of the world’s most elite climbers including Claude Kogan on Cho Oyu in
1959, Reinhard Karl on Cho Oyu in 1982, and Anatoli Boukreev on Annapurna I on
Christmas Day of 1997.
Hired personnel in particular also have born the brunt of some of the most deadly
avalanche accidents: eleven on Kang Guru in 2005, ten on Manaslu in 1972, and six
on Everest in 1970 as noted earlier, and seven on Everest in 1922 in an avalanche
accident below the North Col that included George Mallory who narrowly escaped with
his life.
Chart D-22 shows avalanche death rates for members and hired personnel by climbing
season for all peaks. This chart illustrates the increased avalanche frequency that
occurs during the autumn season due to the build up of snow during the summer
monsoons.
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
0.34
0.39
Spring
54/15865(M),33/8402(H)
Chart D-22: Avalanche death rates by season for members and hired personnel for all peaks
(the death rate is above the column bar; the death and above BC counts are below)
102 Death Analysis
Avalanche Death Rates by Season for All Peaks (1950-2006)
0.64
1.12
Autumn
110/17264(M),65/5809(H)
0.34
Members Hired
0.58
Winter
5/1475(M),4/688(H)
0.49
0.68
All Seasons
(170/34920(M),102/15031(H)