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

Deaths by Expedition Years
Chart D-35 shows the member and hired personnel death rates by expedition year in
5-year steps for all peaks.
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
2.35
0.63
1950-1954
7/298(M),
2/318(H)
3.75
2.72
1955-1959
9/240(M),
7/257(H)
1.97
Chart D-35: Member and hired death rates by expedition year for all peaks from 1950-2006
The results from the early years from 1950 to 1970 are more erratic due to the lower
numbers of expeditions especially in the late 1960s when Himalayan climbing was
suspended in Nepal and before the Chinese side of the border was opened to foreign
climbers in 1980. From the 1970s onward, the data in Chart D-35 show more consistent
results. The trend lines show a steady decrease in fatalities and death rates starting
about 1975 for both members and hired until 2005. The 2005 Kang Guru avalanche
All Peaks Everest 8000ers
Exp Years Above Death Death Above Death Death Above Death Death
BC Cnt Rate BC Cnt Rate BC Cnt Rate
1950-1954 298 7 2.35 38 0 0.00 128 1 0.78
1955-1959 240 9 3.75 9 0 0.00 110 4 3.64
1960-1964 559 11 1.97 109 3 2.75 138 5 3.62
1965-1969 278 11 3.96 70 1 1.43 105 6 5.71
1970-1974 1277 44 3.45 269 4 1.49 567 23 4.06
1975-1979 1901 50 2.63 295 6 2.03 865 27 3.12
1980-1984 3958 80 2.02 653 17 2.60 1952 50 2.56
1985-1989 4673 117 2.50 1163 23 1.98 2783 63 2.26
1990-1994 5415 73 1.35 1424 16 1.12 3385 53 1.57
1995-1999 6048 74 1.22 1242 27 2.17 3852 63 1.64
2000-2004 7056 58 0.82 1728 19 1.10 4273 46 1.08
2005-2006 3217 37 1.15 928 13 1.40 2207 19 0.86
34920 571 1.64 7928 129 1.63 20365 360 1.77
Table D-36: Member deaths by expedition year for all peaks, Everest, and the 8000ers
from 1950-2006 (includes the 2005 Kang Guru accident)
120 Death Analysis
Death Rates by Expedition Year for All Peaks (1950-2006)
0.64
1960-1964
11/559(M),
4/630(H)
3.96
2.48
1965-1969
11/278(M),
6/242H)
3.45
3.79
1970-1974
44/1277(M),
37/977(H)
2.63
1.58
1975-1979
50/1901(M),
19/1200(H)
2.02
1.46
1980-1984
80/3958(M),
21/1440(H)
Members Hired
2.50
1.67
1985-1989
117/4673(M),
26/1562(H)
Trend (Members) Trend (Hired)
1.35
1.46
1990-1994
73/5415(M),
28/1923(H)
1.22
0.83
1995-1999
74/6048(M),
17/2046(H)
0.82
0.62
2000-2004
58/7056(M),
18/2910(H)
1.15
1.70
2005-2006
30/3210(M),
15/1523(H)