INCIDENTS & ACCIDENTS
Every year, on average, 25 people who are injured while climbing, skiing and mountaineering on Mount Washington require some type of assistance from rescue groups such as the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol and the US Forest Service. The incident summaries listed below are provided as an educational tool in order to help prevent future accidents. The accidents range from sprained ankles to multi-systems trauma. The reports and analysis of these accidents have revealed some interesting insights into winter mountain safety.
Accident reporting and investigation is a time consuming and often detailed process. Reports of major accidents from the US Forest Service Snow Rangers may take some time to appear on this page.
Climbers stranded on Damnation Buttress
02/23/2013. Tags: stranded
Avalanche in Central Gully
01/17/2013. Tags: avalanche
Call for Assistance
01/10/2013. Tags: lost
2 Climbers Avalanched in Pinnacle Gully
12/18/2012. Tags: avalanche
Tuckerman Ravine–Crevasse fall fatality
04/01/2012. Tags: crevasse, sliding fall
Skier Tuckerman Ravine
03/18/2012. Tags: injured skier
Lion Head Trail
03/18/2012. Tags: injured hiker
Skier Tuckerman Ravine
03/17/2012. Tags: injured skier
Tuckerman Ravine – Lip area of Tuckerman Ravine
01/09/2012. Tags: sliding fall
Descending the Tuckerman Ravine Trail in Winter
01/08/2012. Tags: sliding fall
Huntington Ravine – Central Gully
01/05/2012. Tags: avalanche
Huntington Ravine – Central Gully
01/03/2012. Tags: avalanche
Lion Head Winter Route Glissade
04/04/2011. Tags: glissading, sliding fall
Snow Shoeing in Tuckerman Ravine
03/15/2011. Tags: sliding fall
Avalanche in Pinnacle Gully
03/10/2011. Tags: avalanche
Skier injured in East Snowfields
05/18/2010. Tags: injured skier
Skier falls through snow bridge, John Sherburne Ski Trail
04/03/2010. Tags:
Skier fell while skiing Right Gully
04/03/2010. Tags: injured skier
Injured Skier Tuckerman Ravine
03/27/2010. Tags: injured skier
Injured Climber
03/20/2010. Tags: injured climber
Fall Lion Head Winter Route
03/06/2010. Tags: injured hiker
Injured his knee skiing down Hillman’s Highway
03/06/2010. Tags: injured skier
Three Human Triggered Avalanches- Center Bowl
04/28/2009. Tags: avalanche, injured skier, tuckerman ravine
Four Injuries
04/18/2009. Tags: injured skier, sliding fall, tuckerman ravine
Avalanche Accident in Tuckerman Ravine
04/11/2009. Tags: avalanche, tuckerman ravine
Snowboarder caught an edge in the Lip – torn ACL
04/05/2009. Tags: injured skier, tuckerman ravine
Sliding fall injuries
03/22/2009. Tags: sliding fall, tuckerman ravine
Sliding Falls
03/14/2009. Tags: sliding fall
Two injured skiers
03/10/2009. Tags: injured skier, tuckerman ravine
Hit by falling ice
04/09/2008. Tags: struck by falling ice
Avalanche North Gully Huntington Ravine
03/30/2008. Tags: avalanche, huntington ravine
Glissading accident
03/03/2008. Tags: glissading
Sliding Fall Huntington Ravine
01/26/2008. Tags: huntington ravine, sliding fall
Sliding Fall – Huntington Ravine
01/25/2008. Tags: huntington ravine, sliding fall
Sliding Fall – Tuckerman Ravine Trail Summit Cone
01/24/2008. Tags: sliding fall
Avalanche Solo Climber Huntington Ravine
01/18/2008. Tags: avalanche, huntington ravine
Avalanche at Base of Pinnacle
12/20/2007. Tags: avalanche, huntington ravine
Lost Hiker
05/06/2007. Tags: lost
Sliding Fall – Tuckerman Ravine
03/31/2007. Tags: sliding fall, tuckerman ravine
Injured Hiker Tuckerman Ravine Trail
03/31/2007. Tags: injured hiker
Climber fall – Lobster Claw in Tuckerman Ravine
03/25/2007. Tags: injured climber, tuckerman ravine
Sliding Fall – Headwall in Tuckerman Ravine
03/24/2007. Tags: injured hiker, sliding fall
North Gully Solo Climbing Fall
12/16/2006. Tags: fall while climbing, huntington ravine
Lost Hikers
05/29/2006. Tags: lost
Falling Rock Chute
05/28/2006. Tags: injured skier