What are the dangers of climbing a mountain?

There are many threats encountered in mountain climbing, and any of them could increase exponentially with increased elevation (height of the mountain).

1. Injury (or death) from a fall, including those caused by slips or by wind
2. Injury or suffocation from rocks, ice, or snow falling on you
3. Injury from exertion (heart, muscles)
4. Injuries from temperature extremes (mainly hypothermia and frostbite)
5. Injuries related to breathing thinner air (heart, lungs, muscles, brain)
6. Effects of untreated illnesses, or lack of medical care
7. Vision loss from glare (snowblindness)
8. Lack of food (and on some mountains, water)
9. Equipment-related injuries
10. Drowning
11. Accidental, negligent, or intentional injury by other climbers

- Some of the dangerous conditions are avalanches, rockfalls, earthquakes*, ice storms, dust storms, and flash floods. Physical effects can include frostbite, hypothermia, heat stroke, dehydration, and cramps. Storms can reduce climbing visibility, and bright sunshine can cause temporary snowblindness.

- If a climber is trapped on a mountain, or lost, starvation is a possibility. Those taking medications may run out if a climb takes longer than anticipated.

- At high elevations, altitude sickness can lead to lethargy, poor judgment, or disorientation.

- Arguments, fights, or other actions that can be harmful anywhere else may be fatal on a mountain, where there is no immediate medical care. Decisions by a group leader may imperil everyone, or an individual may imperil other climbers dependent on him.

This is not a complete list but encompasses most of the main dangers of mountaineering. Experienced climbers will usually have encountered most of them.

(see related question)

* In 2009, there was a Richter 6.1 earthquake at a Himalayan glacier called Satopanth while people were climbing the mountains around it.