Help Build a Record of Fatalities on Colorado’s 14ers

[daway8]

Also, fatalities don't tell the full story - Little Bear has seen a LOT of close calls if you peruse conditions reports, trip reports, etc. When a basketball size rock wizzes by an inch from someone's head, does that really make the peak all that much safer than one where someone actually died? Seems more like a game of probability and statistics at that point.

There have likewise been no small number of close calls on a wide number of peaks over the last decade or so - think of all the SAR reports in recent years, or the various survival stories following often dramatic accidents. If you really wanted to paint a picture of the dangers on the mountains you'd want to somehow try to gather data on close calls as well (though that would be even far more difficult, and much more subjective/ almost impossible to verify).

[Violet]

For example, neither Sunlight Peak, Wilson Peak, nor Pyramid Peak appear on this list. These three mountains are oft-touted as some of the hardest/most dangerous in the state yet nobody has died on any of them so far this decade.

It sounds like these stats are incomplete. I remember a fatal fall from the traverse across the side of the ridge leading up to Wilson Peak in just the last couple of years. This is the section after you leave the saddle to Gladstone Peak. I have included one link below to confirm.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 394284007/

The stats data was from 2010 to 2017 as far as I read on that website.

[Jim Davies]

Statistically speaking, there are a couple of easy things you can do to virtually eliminate your odds of ending up on a list like this in the future:

Don't be a guy.

That's #1 on Dave Philipps' list. https://www.vaildaily.com/news/camping- ... afraid-of/

[Timmy]

Hey everyone,

We’ve had a

really great response

with incidents being submitted to the site. It’s awesome to see people helping fill in the gaps and preserve these stories, although it’s also pretty sobering to see just how many people have lost their lives on the 14ers over the years.

For those who have submitted incidents, the process really is anonymous by design. I don’t have any insight into who you are or who submitted what. If you’d like to have your name or information included on the site as a small thank-you for your contribution, feel free to DM me.

BTW, you can submit an incident using the link at the bottom of the main grid. Which reminds me—I need to move that link up and make it more obvious!

https://deaths-on-colorados-fourteeners ... ubmit.html

I’ve also had to make a few changes to the charts to handle the sheer number of incidents now covering 143 years.

I’ve noticed there are a few duplicates in the database as well. I’m working through those and trying to figure out the best way to merge them while keeping any conflicting or additional information rather than losing it.

And as always, if you have ANY feedback, corrections, suggestions, or ideas, please don’t hesitate to DM me or leave a comment. I really appreciate everyone who has contributed so far. This is turning into something much bigger and more useful than I originally expected.

https://deaths-on-colorados-fourteeners.netlify.app/

https://deaths-on-colorados-fourteeners ... ubmit.html

[d_baker]

I suggest changing the background or do something different with font color...

Screenshot_20260911_192519_Chrome.jpg

[Timmy]

Thank you! This is now my weekend project.

I know the upper area is not readable on mobile or smaller resolutions. I was hoping YOU wouldn't notice.

I'm on it.

[d_baker]

Thank you! This is now my weekend project.

I know the upper area is not readable on mobile or smaller resolutions. I was hoping YOU wouldn't notice.

I'm on it.

Hahaha, it was the FIRST thing I noticed! I didn't click or scroll beyond that.

The site for morbid curiosity on deaths occurring during activities that I do myself.
I have personally known 1/2 dozen people that have died in the CO mountains. And witnessed one.
I won't be providing any data though.
I'm indifferent to your goal.

[Violet]

The identities of the two fatal accidents happening lately in Aspen ( Maroon peak and Castle peak) were released……
Feeling sad……

Besides, in my opinion, plz give understanding to those who collect these datas. Doing this job is nobody’s favorite. It is not easy to face all kinds of reports related to death every day. They also endure immense mental stress. Just some of my own thoughts.

[Timmy]

We had a bunch of submissions today.

Here's what I was able to accomplish based on your feedback.

Found and cleaned up 7 duplicate incident records, and added a safeguard so exact duplicates can't slip in again going forward.

Simplified the gender options to Male, Female, and Unknown (it was "other," which was confusing).

Added three new cause categories (Weather exposure, Accident/other, and Intentional) so more incidents can be classified accurately. I also reclassified those that fit those categories — including a review of records that had been marked "unclear" to see which ones now have a better-fitting category.

Finished up by adding color-coded tags for each cause so they're easier to scan at a glance on the site.

There was one submission challenging the validity of a submission.

Incidences: 234

Span 1884–2026 or 143 recorded years

Deadliest: Longs Peak with 69 documented deaths

I created this site last Saturday, seven days ago, and I'm amazed at how much history has been documented. I've went down so many rabbit-holes learning about these events. What I'm mostly surprised about is the events that are not related to climbing accidents. I had read about the gentlemen who accidentally shot himself when his pistol fell from his person, but I didn't have the dates or the circumstances.

Thanks again everyone and I hope this is a useful historic resource.

https://deaths-on-colorados-fourteeners.netlify.app/

[Hungry Jack]

Looks like Clinton McHugh is listed twice in 2012. He was a Chicago area native who had moved to Colorado with his wife in 2010, IIRC. A friend of mine worked with him. He fell from the Sawtooth in a storm.

[MonGoose]

Thanks for creating this website of 14er fatalities. I suspect the response from the 14er community will be mixed, particularly from those who have lost someone in the mountains. I would recommend avoiding the analysis of the incidents and focus simply on documenting their occurrence. It's impossible to know what was going through the mind of the deceased at the time of their accident and witnessing another person's fatality can be a very traumatic experience. Document the who, what, where and when while avoiding the how and why. I believe the American Alpine Club also records mountaineering deaths in this manner each year, in their Accidents in North American Climbing, so that might be another source of data.

A few years ago, Matt Payne recorded 14er deaths from 2010 through 2013 on his website. His well-intentioned attempt to analyze each incident as a learning experience re-opened some old wounds for climbers and re-emphasized that it's impossible to know the full story. A better learning experience is when a climber shares a personal "near miss" story of their own and can provide firsthand details as opposed to speculating about those we have lost. You might reach out to Matt because I know he learned a lot during that time.

[Timmy]

Thank you for your input.

I checked out Matt’s records and he “threw in the towel” after a few years. I completely understand, reading the circumstances of the events is difficult. All of his records are duplicated in the CNC’s study from 2010-2017 — which wasn’t available when he published his.

Unfortunately the CNC doesn’t have any published records except the study — which is all reflected on my site. I hope that this site will encourage more records.

Thank you again!