MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather exercise risk mitigation risk assessment MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather exercise risk mitigation risk assessment MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE risk assessment home >> risk-management >> risk assessment Risk Framework It's an unfortunate irony of the backcountry that some of the very best and most exciting skiing and snowboarding is found in perfect avalanche terrain. We all know there is risk associated with backcountry activities, and when we choose to engage the backcountry in winter, we accept a certain level of risk. The crux of decision-making is to identify the risk associated with our route options, and then to make a careful and informed decision about whether or not that specific terrain remains within our personal risk comfort zone. Risk is often described as the probability of an event happening weighed against the severity of the consequences. Traditional avalanche education has focused primarily on the probability, or chance of initiating an avalanche. However, the initial triggering of an avalanche is only one side of the equation; equally important is what happens once the avalanche is initiated. The following questions are designed to help you assess avalanche risk more comprehensively, and to stimulate your thinking about what risk means to you.

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather exercise risk mitigation risk assessment MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather exercise risk assessment MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE risk mitigation

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE risk mitigation home >> risk-management >> risk mitigation First, identify when the risk level is rising. To catch an accident before it happens, try a pre mortem test: Ask yourself, if an accident occurs, what would I have missed? Imagine your buddies sitting in the bar after your accident, wondering how you made your decision to ski or highmark that slope. If you can enumerate more than two or three obvious signs of avalanche danger, you are probably taking significant risks. And your feeling that "everything will work out OK" will, in hindsight after an accident, look to them more like recklessness or worse. Need help figuring out how much risk you are actually taking? Werner Munter's Reduction Method, the SnowCard, NivoTest or ALP TRUTh method can provide some quantitative insights. Even better tools are on the way, in the form of a backcountry decision framework for recreationists currently being developed by the Canadian Avalanche Centre.

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE home >> risk-management >> risk mitigation Second, assess how objective you are about the risk. We've seen that in the face of certain psychological cues, it's difficult to be objective about avalanche hazard. Even experience and training are no guarantee. A simple way to find out what you're up against is to perform a FACETS test. FACETS is an acronym listing the human factors previously described, and it can help you remember the psychological cues that can obscure your perception of avalanche conditions. In the FACETS test, you simply run through the list and see which cues are present. Depending on your experience, group size, and other factors, each cue may have a different level of influence on your objectivity. But in general, the more cues that are present, the more difficult it will be for you to objectively assess the danger. Like an unstable snowpack, it doesn't matter what the depth of your avalanche knowledge and experience is if your decisions rest on weak assumptions. It's important to recognize that tools like the pre mortem and FACETS tests are in a very early stage of evolution, and they do not cover all possible combinations of avalanche hazard and human factors. They may not be perfect, but they can get you started down the road of recognizing trouble before it strikes. And they will make it less likely that someday, a bar room debate about your group will make people wonder, "What were they thinking?!"

MindtheAvalanche - homeexperiencesgalleryforumlinkscontact terrain options people risk-management basics decision-making MIND THE AVALANCHE snowpack&weather MIND THE AVALANCHE.com MIND THE AVALANCHE home >> risk-management >> risk mitigation Second, assess how objective you are about the risk. We've seen that in the face of certain psychological cues, it's difficult to be objective about avalanche hazard. Even experience and training are no guarantee. A simple way to find out what you're up against is to perform a FACETS test. FACETS is an acronym listing the human factors previously described, and it can help you remember the psychological cues that can obscure your perception of avalanche conditions. In the FACETS test, you simply run through the list and see which cues are present. Depending on your experience, group size, and other factors, each cue may have a different level of influence on your objectivity. But in general, the more cues that are present, the more difficult it will be for you to objectively assess the danger. Like an unstable snowpack, it doesn't matter what the depth of your avalanche knowledge and experience is if your decisions rest on weak assumptions. It's important to recognize that tools like the pre mortem and FACETS tests are in a very early stage of evolution, and they do not cover all possible combinations of avalanche hazard and human factors. They may not be perfect, but they can get you started down the road of recognizing trouble before it strikes. And they will make it less likely that someday, a bar room debate about your group will make people wonder, "What were they thinking?!" Third, and last, see whether or not you are comfortable with the level of risk. What is the best route through this complex terrain that suits the comfort level for risk in your group? Is there one? After examining all the questions about degree of instability and consequences, you will have a better understanding of the existing risk and how it varies with terrain. While the snow conditions and terrain are given to you by nature, the route choice is yours. Based on your assessment, you can make terrain choices that adjust the risk to a comfortable level for you and your group. Managing risk is all about your position in the terrain. When the complexity of the snowpack threatens to overwhelm you, use your skills to find simpler terrain where you feel comfortable again. This comfort level is a personal choice and is different for everybody – some are willing to push a little more to achieve their goals, while others happily make more conservative choices. There is no right or wrong, but your decisions should be based on an informed risk assessment and should represent the risk tolerance of everyone in your group. A calculated approach to skiing avalanche terrain is essential – have a plan before you go and make sure everyone in your group knows what it is.