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List of mountaineering disasters in North America by death toll

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Denali, the highest mountain in North America. At least 100 people have died on the mountain.

The following is a list of mountaineering disasters in North America by death toll. This list includes climbing and mountaineering disasters that resulted in multiple deaths (2+) in North America.

Fatalities Year Type Mountain Location Details
11 1981 Avalanche Mount Rainier  Washington,  United States Ten climbers and a guide died during an avalanche on Ingraham Glacier
9 1986 Storm Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States Seven students and two teachers died from hypothermia during a storm while attempting to reach the summit of Mount Hood
7 1955 Avalanche Mount Temple  Alberta,  Canada Seven youths from the Philadelphia Wilderness Camp died in an avalanche while on the Southwest Ridge of Mount Temple.[1]
7 1959 Avalanche Pico de Orizaba  Veracruz,  Mexico In 1959 an expedition of seven disappeared while climbing Pico de Orizaba. In 2015, their mummified bodies were discovered on the mountain.[2]
7 1967 Storm Denali  Alaska,  United States Seven climbers died in a severe blizzard
6 2014 Fall Mount Rainier  Washington,  United States Two guides and four clients died in a fall while attempting to summit Mount Rainier from the Liberty Ridge route.
6 1939 Cornice collapse Mount Baker  Washington,  United States Six climbers fell to their death when the cornice they were on collapsed
5 1968 Lynching Malinche  Puebla,  Mexico 5 mountain climbers were killed by villagers who believed them to be communists
5 1981 Fall Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States Five members of the Mazamas climbing group died during a fall from Cooper Spur while descending.
5 1969 Avalanche Mount Cleveland  Montana,  United States Five climbers were killed by an avalanche on Mount Cleveland on New Years Day.
4 1954 Fall Mount Victoria  Alberta,  Canada Three climbers and their guide, connected to each other by rope, fell to their deaths while climbing the Victoria Glacier. Three other climbers in the group who were not connected to them were later rescued.[1]
4 2012 Avalanche Denali  Alaska,  United States Four climbers died in an avalanche.[3]
4 2023 Fall Pico de Orizaba  Veracruz,  Mexico Four climbers were killed in a fall while climbing the southern slope of Pico de Orizaba.[4]
3 2002 Fall Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States Nine climbers fell into a crevasse on Mount Hood, killing three.
3 2024 Storm Pico de Orizaba  Veracruz,  Mexico Three people died, including a guide, during harsh weather on Pico de Orizaba. Nine others from the group of twelve were either rescued or descended the mountain.[5]
3 2019 Avalanche or cornice collapse Howse Peak  Alberta,  Canada Three climbers were killed while descending Howse Peak.
3 2006 Storm Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States Three experienced climbers died in a winter storm on Mount Hood.
3 1948 Fall Norman Clyde Peak  California,  United States Three members of the Sierra Club died in a fall during a descent on Norman Clyde Peak.
3 2002 Avalanche Mount Foraker  Alaska,  United States 3 climbers died in an avalanche.[6]
3 2005 Rock fall Sharkfin Tower  Washington,  United States A group of climbers were struck by a boulder, killing three in North Cascades National Park.[7]
3 2023 Avalanche Colchuck Peak  Washington,  United States Four climbers were carried away by an avalanche while climbing the Northeast Couloir route on Colchuck Peak. Three of the climbers died as a result of the avalanche.[8]
3 2021 Avalanche Bear Mountain  Alaska,  United States Three climbers were discovered dead from an avalanche after being reported missing while attempting to summit Bear Mountain in Chugach National Forest.[9]
3 1969 Fall Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Three men died in a fall while climbing in Huntington Ravine.
3 2024 Unknown Mount Garibaldi  British Columbia,  Canada Three climbers were found dead after having gone missing while climbing the mountain months prior. Search efforts were hampered by bad weather conditions.[10]
2 1979 Fall Mount Edith Cavell  Alberta,  Canada Two men were killed in a fall on the north face of Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper National Park.[11]
2 1997 Fall Ptarmigan Peak  Alaska,  United States Two climbers were killed and twelve were injured during a 1,000 feet (300 m) fall into a boulder field during a descent from Ptarmigan Peak.[12]
2 1979 Fall Denali  Alaska,  United States Two members of the 1979 Korean McKinley Expedition died in a fall during bad weather.
2 1986 Fall Mount Robson  British Columbia,  Canada Two men were killed in a fall while climbing Mount Robson, the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies.[13]
2 2018 Storm Mendenhall Towers  Alaska,  United States Two climbers are presumed to have died during a winter storm while climbing the Mendenhall Towers near Juneau, Alaska.[14]
2 2012 Fall Heart Mountain  Alberta,  Canada Two rock climbers fell 100 metres (330 ft) to their death.
2 2019 Rock fall Red Slate Mountain  California,  United States Two climbers were killed by rockfall while attempting to summit Red Slate Mountain.
2 2024 Fall Mount Whitney  California,  United States Two climbers were killed in a fall on Mount Whitney.[15]
2 2021 Avalanche Mount Andromeda  Alberta,  Canada Two experienced climbers were killed in an "unsurvivable" avalanche while climbing Mount Andromeda in Jasper National Park.[16]
2 2003 Fall Tahquitz Peak  California,  United States Two experienced climbers fell to their death in a fall caused by faulty gear and poor weather.[17]
2 2002 Avalanche Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Seven people where swept away by an avalanche into Tuckerman Ravine while climbing Mount Washington. Two of the climbers died.[18]
2 1996 Avalanche Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Two men were killed in the Gulf of Slides by an avalanche.
2 1994 Exposure Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Two men died from hypothermia while climbing Mount Washington.[19]
2 1979 Fall Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Two men died in a fall in Huntington Ravine
2 1965 Fall Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Two men died in a fall in Huntington Ravine
2 1964 Avalanche Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States Two men were killed in an avalanche on Mount Washington
2 1958 Exposure Mount Washington  New Hampshire,  United States A man and a woman died from hypothermia in the Crawford Path area of Mount Washington.
2 1971 Fall Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States A man and son died in a fall
2 1981 Fall Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States Two men died on Cooper Spur
2 1994 Fall Mount Hood  Oregon,  United States A four-person group of climbers fell while climbing Mount Hood, two of them died.
2 2018 Fall El Capitan  California,  United States Two climbers fell 1,000 feet (300 m) to their death while climbing El Capitan.[20]
2 2023 Avalanche The Moose's Tooth  Alaska,  United States Two climbers are believed to have died in an avalanche while attempting to summit the Moose's Tooth in Denali National Park.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Sandford, R.W. (2002). The Highest Calling (PDF). Calgary: The Alpine Club of Canada. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Frozen bodies found on Mexican peak may be long-buried avalanche victims". The Guardian. 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  3. ^ Duara, Nigel (17 June 2012). "4 missing climbers presumed dead after avalanche". Washington Examiner. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  4. ^ Sarkar, Alisha Rahaman (21 August 2023). "Four Mexican fall to death while climbing Pico de Orizaba mountain". The Independent. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  5. ^ "2 people are dead and 1 is missing in climbing accident on Mexico's highest peak". Associated Press News. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Three brothers killed in climbing accident in Alaska". Arizona Daily Sun. 18 June 2002. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Fridge-sized boulder crashes on climbers". Ellensburg Daily Record. 12 July 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  8. ^ "2023/02/19 - Washington - Colchuck Peak, southwest of Leavenworth". Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  9. ^ "2021/02/02 - Alaska - Bear Mountain, Chugach State Park". Colorado Avalanche Information Center. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  10. ^ "3 bodies recovered in Garibaldi Provincial Park where climbers disappeared". Cranbrook Daily Townsman. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Three more climbers die". Calgary Herald. 4 September 1979. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Climbing accident kills two, injures 12". The Vindicator. 30 June 1997. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Climbers rescued from mountain". The Leader-Post. 2 September 1986. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  14. ^ Grossman, Nina (14 March 2018). "UPDATED: Alaska State Troopers say recovery of B.C. climber too dangerous". Creston Valley Advance. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  15. ^ Dolan, Jack (9 May 2024). "2 climbers found dead after summiting Mt. Whitney via treacherous route". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  16. ^ Michelin, Lana (2 June 2021). "Two central Alberta climbers killed by avalanche near Jasper". Red Deer Advocate. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  17. ^ Morán Pérez, Gillian (10 October 2022). "2 Rock Climbers Killed At Tahquitz Rock Fell Victim To Weather And Equipment According To Rescuers Report". LAist. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Two die in avalanche on Mount Washington". Southeast Missourian. 30 November 2002. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Deaths on Mt. Washington". Lexicomm. Archived from the original on 2002-04-29. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  20. ^ Doubek, James (3 June 2018). "2 Climbers Fall To Their Deaths From El Capitan In Yosemite". NPR. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
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