4 ms·

Not quite but closer than I would have suspected: Suicide attempt fatality rate: 9% Everest attempt fatality rate: 2% Sources: Climber fatality fro

Not quite but closer than I would have suspected: Suicide attempt fatality rate: 9% Everest attempt fatality rate: 2% Sources: Climber fatality from attempts through 2006: http://www.adventurestats.com/tables/EverestAgeFat.shtml Suicide estimate from NIH: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml

gokhan 14y ago
Actually, Everest is considered as on the easier side for an eight-thousander [1]. Annapurna got %38 (2007 figures) [2] and K2 got %25 [3]. For some interesting discussion on Everest fatalities, try this one [4]. "No shortcuts to the top" by Ed Viesturs and the well known "Into thin air" by Jon Krakauer are two good books on the subject, if you want to read more. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2 {4] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1978295 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1978295
- JohnFromBuffalo 14y ago
  Yup, I've read that. The account by the reporter from Outdoors (?) was extremely graphic in detail (but disputed by others in the party). Sad all around, but through those deaths came better regulation which has led to a 1:7 ration of attempts/deaths vs. 1:4 in previous years.
btilly 14y ago
I am sure that I read an article a while ago that claimed that climbing Everest was more dangerous. I guess I'm wrong. Thanks for the correction.
wooster 14y ago
Some more stats I put together awhile ago: http://andrewwooster.com/everest.html http://andrewwooster.com/everest.html
- sytelus 14y ago
  This is very good visualization. It brings out the fact that number of summits have exponentially increased by number of death only linearly and with very slight slop. This means w have gotten exponentially better at summiting over time.
dutchbrit 14y ago
And I suspect that suicide fatality rate isn't 100% correct either. It's hard to really tell, if someone really failed trying to commit suicide, or if they just 'attempted' to get more attention.

gokhan 14y ago

Actually, Everest is considered as on the easier side for an eight-thousander [1]. Annapurna got %38 (2007 figures) [2] and K2 got %25 [3]. For some interesting discussion on Everest fatalities, try this one [4]. "No shortcuts to the top" by Ed Viesturs and the well known "Into thin air" by Jon Krakauer are two good books on the subject, if you want to read more. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-thousander [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K2 {4] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1978295 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1978295

JohnFromBuffalo 14y ago
Yup, I've read that. The account by the reporter from Outdoors (?) was extremely graphic in detail (but disputed by others in the party). Sad all around, but through those deaths came better regulation which has led to a 1:7 ration of attempts/deaths vs. 1:4 in previous years.

btilly 14y ago

I am sure that I read an article a while ago that claimed that climbing Everest was more dangerous. I guess I'm wrong. Thanks for the correction.

wooster 14y ago

Some more stats I put together awhile ago: http://andrewwooster.com/everest.html http://andrewwooster.com/everest.html

sytelus 14y ago
This is very good visualization. It brings out the fact that number of summits have exponentially increased by number of death only linearly and with very slight slop. This means w have gotten exponentially better at summiting over time.

dutchbrit 14y ago

And I suspect that suicide fatality rate isn't 100% correct either. It's hard to really tell, if someone really failed trying to commit suicide, or if they just 'attempted' to get more attention.