Brains
While comparing the death rates of the world’s tallest peak and a mountain located right next to the second largest city in the U.S. may seem like a stretch, the comparison might not be as ridiculous as one might think. Mt. Baldy, at an elevation of 10,064 feet, is about 20,000 feet smaller than Mt. Everest. While that elevation difference would suggest a lower death rate, Mt. Baldy’s accessibility makes it a hot spot for climbing related accidents.
Between 2016 and 2025, Mt. Baldy saw 345 search-and-rescue operations and 23 deaths. The stark comparison came directly after Mt. Baldy claimed the lives of 3 people in a single day in December of 2025. While Everest has recently been plagued by overcrowding, with some photos of lines to the top making national headlines, it sees far fewer climbers then Mt. Baldy. In that same time period, Mt. Everest saw 64 deaths the San Bernadino Police Department said in a comparison.
While the comparison may be a little bit of an exaggeration, the changing weather conditions at the top of the 10,000 foot peak can spell disaster for the underprepared hiker. December 29, 2025 was an especially deadly day for the California mountain. Marcus Alexander Muench Casanova, 19, went missing during a routine hike up Mt. Baldy. Icy conditions potentially caused the hiker to plunge over 500 feet down the side of the mountain. Search and rescue efforts led to the discovery of two other deceased hikers, Juan Sarah Lopez and Barron Pedro Ramos.
While Everest is a much more technical mountain, it faces challenges not that unlike that of Mt. Baldy. In 2019, severe overcrowding and a narrow weather window caused a bottle neck at the famed Hilary step, the famed final obstacle and most technical piece of climbing on the classic Everest summit route. 11 people died as a result of being left out to exposure, running out of oxygen, and other climbing related issues.
Another factor that may be attributed to Mt. Baldy’s danger is that all of its climbers go unguided. Every person that climbs Everest must be accompanied by a Sherpa, expert local guides that know more about Mt. Everest than just about anyone. Mt. Baldy climbers tend to climb alone or in small groups, without expert advice on when the risk outweighs the reward.
While Mt. Baldy may not be as inherently dangerous as Everest, its high death toll still speaks to its level of danger. Like any mountain, climbers need to head the warnings and respect the mountain. Whether that mountain is 10,000 feet high or the highest mountain in the world, if the mountain shows signs it doesn’t want to be climbed, the wise climber listens.
A previous version of this piece was updated to correct inaccuracies.
Mt. Baldy, is NOT at an elevation of 4,193 feet. Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a 10,064 ft (3,068 m) summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California.
FYI: Mt Baldy elevation from Wikipedia – Mount San Antonio, commonly referred to as Mount Baldy or Old Baldy, is a 10,064 ft summit in the San Gabriel Mountains on the border of Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties of California. Lying within the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument and Angeles National Forest, it is the highest point within the mountain range, the County of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Also, The photo at the end of your article is the Mt. Baldy ski hill in Sun Valley, Idaho.