Abstract
Abstract.With the exception of northern India, there are few, if any, consistent data records relating to avalanche activity in the high mountains of Asia. However, records do exist of avalanche fatalities in the region, contained in mountaineering expedition reports. In this paper, I review and analyze statistics of avalanche fatalities (both snow and ice) in the high mountains of Asia (Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Tien Shan, Dazu Shan) from 1895 to 2014. The data are stratified according to accident cause, geographical region (Nepal-Tibet (Xizang), Pakistan, India, China, Central Asia), mountain range, personnel (hired or expedition members) and terrain. The character of the accidents is compared with data from North America and Europe. The data show that the important risk components are the temporal and spatial exposure probabilities. It is shown that human actions and decisions govern the pattern of fatal avalanches in the high mountains of Asia.
Highlights
The high mountains of Asia include all the world’s mountains with elevations >7000 m a.s.l
Near the summits of the high peaks, winter conditions with cold, dry snow can be expected at any time of year
Snow avalanching can provide a significant component of mass-balance input
Summary
The high mountains of Asia include all the world’s mountains with elevations >7000 m a.s.l. Mountaineering expeditions are the principal human activity in these high mountains. In attempts on peaks over 7000 m, 4% of expedition participants die (all causes, including avalanches), compared with 0.3% on expeditions to Denali (6190 m), North America’s highest peak, and 0.03% for heavily glaciated Mount Rainier (4392 m), the highest peak of the Cascade Range, USA (McClung, 2014). The data suggest that peak elevation matters and that expedition climbing is very risky. Salisbury and Hawley (2007) compiled data on mountaineering accidents in Nepal from 1950 to 2006 and concluded that avalanches (272 deaths) and falls (255 deaths) were the chief causes of death there, accounting for 67% of total deaths The data suggest that peak elevation matters and that expedition climbing is very risky. Salisbury and Hawley (2007) compiled data on mountaineering accidents in Nepal from 1950 to 2006 and concluded that avalanches (272 deaths) and falls (255 deaths) were the chief causes of death there, accounting for 67% of total deaths
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