Do female mountaineers take lower risks while high-altitude mountaineering? An intersex analysis from the Swiss Alps

Abstract

Aim High-altitude mountaineering has become more and more popular, however if female alpinists show different injury pattern is not finally elucidated.Material and methods A retrospective analysis was therefore conducted from the central registry of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) during the observational period from 2009 to 2022 concerning intersex differences of emergencies specific while high-altitude mountaineering.Conclusions A total of 1252 female (22%) and 4347 male (78%) emergencies while high-altitude mountaineering were elucidated. A significant difference was detected in average NACA score as proxy for the severity of an event for falls, where female cases show a significant lower severity with NACA score 3.0 ± 1.5 as compared to male cases with NACA score 3.5 ± 2.0 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, on average men have more often a fatal event. It might be suggested that men choosing routes in rougher terrain, tend to overestimate their abilities more often and have a higher willingness to take risks.

Keywords

• Female alpinists
• risk awareness
• NACA score
• Allied Health
• Health & Society
• Public Health Policy and Practice