Is it just me, OR

or have there been an unusually high amount of climbing fatalities and climbing related accidents so far this year?
what the hell is going on?

I blame Alex Honnold

If you're just going by "I see a lot of accidents on Mountain Project," that is not a reliable indicator. What are you basing the "unusually high amount" on? Do you have any other data?

FrankPS, no data of any sort, just my perception.
Of course Ive only been using MP since about last summer.  You seem more of a veteran, has it always been like this?

For the most part I haven't noticed a connecting thread. A guy died in Eldo (last week?) because he was soloing, and a girl died yesterday because of a communication error, and another guy died last week because of sheer chance and turning upside down while falling on a sketchy traverse. What's the connection? There isn't one except that climbing is dangerous.

Also the weather is getting nice, so more people are out on the rock I think.

Gabriele Benvenuto wrote: FrankPS, no data of any sort, just my perception.
Of course Ive only been using MP since about last summer.  You seem more of a veteran, has it always been like this?

I haven't noticed more injury or fatality reports on MP, but I'm not keeping count. Still, I wouldn't view MP posts as a statistic indicating a trend.

I'd be more inclined to see what the AAC's annual publication, Accidents in North American Climbing, shows

FrankPS wrote:

I'd be more inclined to see what the AAC's annual publication, Accidents in North American Climbing, shows

Even that is unreliable from a statistical standpoint as it relies on self-reporting for the most part.

Marc801 C wrote:

Even that is unreliable from a statistical standpoint as it relies on self-reporting for the most part.

I think it includes reporting from SAR and park personnel, no?  Anywhere else better statistics can be found? It may be that there are no truly reliable data.

FrankPS wrote:

I think it includes reporting from SAR and park personnel, no?

If, and that's a big if, they decided to send their reports to the AAC.

been following mountainproject for many years, it does seem like there has been a recent uptick in accidents/fatalities... 

I suppose, like anything else, the sport is taking off and attracting new people almost exponentially (thanks alot Alex) and the law of large numbers kicks in..

It's probably partly you. But then that's probably relative to your comparison point (e.g. last year? 5 years? 20 years?). A lot more people are climbing now, meaning a lot more are likely to get hurt somethow...

The thing is, communications are pretty damn good these days, with the interwebz & all. News get around faster. That also seems to mean a push to make bigger, flashier news - therefore stories get pushed more aggressively. That's true for climbing accident, as well as terrorism (no, a bunch or turbans aren't hidding behind the bush to cut your throat), as well as war.... by a lot of metrics the world is a lot safer and peaceful than.... well just about ever.

Weston Sandfort wrote: Also the weather is getting nice, so more people are out on the rock I think.

This I think is a big factor ^^^^

Most of us have a “climbing season” which on average starts in spring. Plus many have non-climbing winter sports anyway.  It is also a time when beginners are in the steep learning curve. 

I blame Tradiban

Not sure about increasing accidents (maybe just increased reporting) but it does seem that the number of fatalities in just "pure rock climbing" (as opposed to mountaineering / alpine climbing) is higher this year.  Like the weather, year-to-year is different.  AAC's Accidents in No. American Mountaineering (there's a new title the last year or so) gives statistics back to the 1950's or so.  
BUT there's no question there's a LOT of new climbers coming out of the gyms and trying "real rock", so absolute numbers of accidents probably are higher; but the real question is:"Are accidents per 1000 climbers higher?"  

Wait until the end of the year and read ANAM.

Mark E Dixon wrote: I blame Tradiban

As a card carrying pessimist, I hate when I'm right.

Climbing is marketed to the masses but it just isn't for everyone, unlike most sports, you cannot make a mistake, it could very well cost you your life.

I pray for all of you everyday.

Just more reporting.

Blaming Honnold for untrained gumbys coming out of the gym and fucking up outside is absurd. The Eldo fatality was a very experienced climber who had been soloing longer than Alex. Shit happens, even to good people. Kyle was high as a kite and foolish. Damn lucky as well.
The rest are due to a lack of training. That is solely the responsibility of those involved.

If you are dumb enough to be influenced by a movie then well, your dumb enough.

Not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised. I have been seeing a lot of shenanigans out there. Saw a guy lower through a bolt hanger recently to save using a bail biner. 

Tradiban wrote:

As a card carrying pessimist, I hate when I'm right.

Climbing is marketed to the masses but it just isn't for everyone, unlike most sports, you cannot make a mistake, it could very well cause you your life.

I pray for all of you everyday.

Everything is marketed to the masses. So what. It's cost you your life. Not cause you your life. Sex does that. 

Save your empty prayers.