Occurrence of fatalities in mountaineering: The case of Mt. Kenya

A fatality is the most detrimental incident that can occur in mountaineering. It is important to study previous cases and learn from circumstances surrounding fatal incidences in programmes sharing some common elements. This paper is set to investigate the occurrences of fatal incidences in mountain...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cogent social sciences 2023-12, Vol.9 (1)
Main Authors: Muthomi, Nkatha, Wachira, Lucy-Joy, Ooko, Shikuku Willy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Fatalities
fatality
Grief
high altitude
incident
Medical diagnosis
Mountain climbing
Mountaineering
occurrence
outdoor adventure
outdoor adventure safety
outdoor leadership
recreation and tourism
Risk assessment
sports and recreation
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Summary:A fatality is the most detrimental incident that can occur in mountaineering. It is important to study previous cases and learn from circumstances surrounding fatal incidences in programmes sharing some common elements. This paper is set to investigate the occurrences of fatal incidences in mountaineering, the case of Mt. Kenya. It captures the qualitative findings on fatality occurrences. Respondents consisted of porters, guides, instructors, facilitators and key stakeholders involved in outdoor adventure activities on Mt. Kenya. The study used snowballing approach to identify the participants. Focus group discussions involving 52 respondents were conducted, in-depth interviews took place with four key informants and additional records were sought through desk reviews. The study found out that occurrence of fatalities was not well documented in a structured database. Deep grieving and regrets were noted. Predisposing factors leading to fatalities during mountaineering included; The "I MUST summit mentality", lack of proper acclimatization, lack of visitor education, and lack of early diagnosis of altitude sicknesses. With the inherent risks and dangers that lead to fatalities in the mountaineering industry, the study recommends the need for providers to be keen on risk assessment and management as well as develop response strategies for various eventualities.
ISSN:2331-1886
2331-1886
DOI:10.1080/23311886.2023.2220534