È di nuovo quel periodo dell’anno: l’AAC ha invitato il direttore di Accidents in North American Climbing, Pete Takeda, a partecipare al podcast per parlare delle tendenze emergenti negli incidenti in arrampicata.
Quest’anno, siamo anche lieti di parlare con la Dott.ssa Valerie Karr, professoressa presso l’UMASS, che ci ha aiutato in un imponente progetto di analisi dati. Valerie ha utilizzato l’analisi della Grounded Theory per analizzare 20 anni di dati sugli incidenti, individuando modelli di come il comportamento umano contribuisca agli incidenti. Modelli come la normalizzazione del rischio, la trappola del mentore e gli atteggiamenti nei confronti dell’attrezzatura fissa. 

Ascoltate il podcast per scoprire le sue scoperte e saperne di più sui casi di studio che hanno attirato l’attenzione dei redattori quest’anno.

Ian McCammon, often considered the godfather of human factors in avalanche education, has a unique background with a foot in scientific research and another in backcountry exploration. With formal training in physics, materials science, and engineering, Ian started in R&D before becoming deeply involved in avalanche education in the 1990s. Following the loss of his friend Steve Carruthers in an avalanche, he was driven to study how experienced individuals make fatal decisions despite knowing better. His work has since shaped modern avalanche education and risk management strategies.

Ian developed the FACETS acronym:

• Familiarity: We feel safer in places we’ve been before, even when conditions change.

• Acceptance: The desire to fit in can push individuals to take unnecessary risks.

• Commitment/Consistency: The drive to follow through on a plan despite new information.

• Expert Halo: Over-reliance on an individual perceived as an expert.

• Tracks/Scarcity: The fear of missing out on first tracks can cloud judgment.

• Social Proof: Seeing others on a slope can create a false sense of security.

His research suggests that merely teaching these factors isn’t enough to change behavior—awareness must be coupled with tools for self-evaluation.

PDFs help individuals identify their personal biases and recurring decision-making flaws. By reflecting on past experiences and recognizing patterns in our own choices, we can slow down and make more objective decisions in the field.

Ian also created ALPTRUTh, an easy-to-remember checklist that has been proven effective in evaluating avalanche risk. More than 90% of avalanche accidents occur when three or more of these factors are present:

• A: Avalanches in the past 48 hours.

• L: Recent loading from snow, wind, or rain.

• P: Obvious avalanche path present.

• T: Terrain trap below.

• R: Avalanche danger rating of “considerable” or higher.

• U: Signs of unstable snow (cracking, collapsing, whoomping).

• TH: Thawing or rapid warming conditions.

McCammon introduced the Stability Wheel, a simplified model explaining the three conditions necessary for an avalanche:

1. Strength: The ability of the snowpack to resist force.

2. Structure: Weak layers and slab formations.

3. Energy Release: The capacity for a fracture to propagate.

Ian explains how propagation propensity, friction, and fracture toughness are now being studied in more depth to improve predictive tools like the Extended Column Test (ECT) and Propagation Saw Test (PST).

One of Ian’s strongest messages in the episode is the importance of margins—the space we create between ourselves and dangerous terrain to account for uncertainty. He emphasizes that uncertainty is often underestimated and that decision-makers must continually assess whether they are acting on knowledge or assumptions.

Ian discusses a study that found significant human and device error in slope angle measurements, with a margin of error between 3-6 degrees. This has implications for decision-making, especially when relying on digital elevation models and inclinometer apps.

Ian highlights the need for new research in decision-making tools, material-based snowpack models, and practical field applications of computational advancements. He also discusses the role of technology in avalanche education, including digital versions of his Snow & Avalanche Fieldbook and new methods for risk communication.

• FACETS and Human Factors in Avalanche Accidents

• ALPTRUTh: Evaluating Risk Factors in Avalanche Accidents

• Stability Wheel and Snowpack Fracture Mechanics

• Decision-Making in Avalanche Terrain: Cognitive Biases

• Snow & Avalanche Fieldbook (White Book)

Nell’episodio di oggi, Caleb si intervista la guida IFMGA e co-fondatore/CEO di, Jeff Banks. La missione di Jeff nella vita è aiutare le persone a fare cose pericolose, nel modo più sicuro possibile. È più felice quando è in montagna ad aiutare le persone a vivere vite lunghe e avventurose.

Jeff ha una carriera di oltre 20 anni come professionista delle valanghe nei settori della previsione delle valanghe, del lavoro con esplosivi e della guida. Jeff è un membro del team di istruttori AMGA ed esaminatore, oltre all’addestramento sulle valanghe che insegna alle forze speciali statunitensi. Ha trascorso 16 inverni come guida e sciatore a Chamonix, è stato campione di sci alpinismo statunitense ed ex capo allenatore della squadra nordica di sviluppo olimpico del Colorado. Jeff vive a Crested Butte, Colorado, con sua figlia.

Jeff e Caleb chiacchierano di alcuni momenti cruciali della carriera di Jeff che lo hanno fatto riflettere sulla quantità di rischi che stava correndo mentre sciava e faceva la guida sugli sci in terreni a rischio di valanghe. Ciò lo ha spinto a pensare a un modo migliore per affrontare i viaggi in zone a rischio valanghe e nelle loro vicinanze. Da qui è nato il libro e Jeff spiega cosa questo nuovo strumento ha da offrire agli amanti dell’entroterra invernale.

Un episodio interessantissimo, questo, che elenca ed analizza i principali temi che riguardano lo scialpinismo. Si parla di come tracciare in modo efficace, di airbag, di comunicazione di gruppo e di molti altri argomenti. La Guida Alpina Larry Goldie è davvero un ottimo comunicatore e, per quello che vale, condivido al 100% tutto quello che afferma in questa intervista.

Back country skiing has experienced a huge surge in popularity over the last several years. Scott Johnston discusses the implications, and the issues, with Larry Goldie, an AMGA-IFMGA-Certified Mountain Guide based in the North Cascade Mountains.

In questo episodio, Caleb intervista Jayson Simons-Jones.
Chiacchieriamo della carriera di Jayson come guida alpina IFMGA, proprietario di un servizio di guida, educatore sulle valanghe e ora del suo nuovo ruolo di Recreation Education Manager per l’American Avalanche Association.
Jayson fornisce spunti e riflessioni ponderate su come si avvicina a portare un profondo senso di significato e connessione mentre porta le persone a sciare fuoripista.
Ci immergiamo in alcuni dei punti chiave di un fantastico articolo che ha scritto per The Avalanche Review intitolato: Comunicazione di gruppo e tattiche decisionali.

Group Communication and Decision-Making Tactics
TAR 39.4 Page 34
https://theavalanchereview.org/tar-39-4/

Mountain Voices is a podcast from the UIAA.
Throughout each series, the UIAA explores different climbing and mountaineering topics. The series provide a platform for both experts from the UIAA and renowned figures from the mountain world to share their views and opinions. Each series is made of up of six episodes. Season 1 launched in February 2024 with Season 2 to follow later in the year.

Episode 2 of Mountain Voices focuses on the subject of avalanches and is inspired by the UIAA Safety Commission’s related to electromagnetic interference in avalanche transceivers.
Experienced American IFMGA Mountain Guides Marc Beverly (a member of the UIAA Safety Commission) and Zeb Blais provide an insight into the findings of the recent UIAA research particularly the do’s and dont’s when a transceiver is in both search and send mode. The podcast also discuss what causes an avalanche, the impact of climate change on avalanches and how our everyday electronic devices from phones to head cameras to GPS watches may interfere with transceivers.

Known as the ‘Godfather Of Freeskiing’, Mike Douglas is consistently listed by media outlets as one of the most influential skiers of all time. He began his career as a mogul skier on the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team in the early 1990s.
In 1997, he developed the first high-performance twin-tip ski, the Salomon Teneighty, and his freeskiing career was launched. Dubbed the New Canadian Air Force, Mike and his crew of Canadians revolutionized the sport with their tricks at ski resorts across the globe. He even has a signature tick – the D Spin. Mike has appeared in more than 50 ski films, was named Powder Magazine’s ‘Male Skier Of The Year’ in 2003, and was the voice of skiing at the X Games for 14 years.
In 2004, Mike founded Switchback Entertainment – a video production company specializing in outdoor adventure films and commercials. He launched the groundbreaking web series, Salomon TV, in 2007 and has produced/directed more than a dozen award-winning films including The Freedom Chair, Tempting Fear, Eclipse, Snowman, Guilt Trip and Fountain Of Youth.
From 1997-2017 his role as a marketing consultant and ambassador for Whistler Blackcomb helped propel the organization to the top of the ski resort rankings. He has been named ‘Favourite Whistlerite’ 7 times by the readers of Whistler’s local newspaper, Pique Newsmagazine.
Today, Mike is a married father of two, and splits his time between raising his family, skiing professionally, producing/directing films and commercials at Switchback Entertainment, and environmental advocacy work. He is the former Board Chair for Protect Our Winters Canada – an environmental group focused on fighting climate change. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Whistler Blackcomb Foundation.
You can find him on social media at:
Instagram: @mikedski
Twitter: @mikedski
Facebook.com/mikedouglas

Segmenti particolarmente interessanti ai minuti:

• 32:12
• 46:45
• 1:00:30

In this episode, Dr. Sara Boilen sits down with Caleb to discuss the broad topic of human factors.
We explore the concept that acknowledgment and awareness of our human factors (the perception of our situation and environment, cognitive biases, and heuristic traps) may not be enough. While the concept is embraced within our community, perhaps we lack the tools and framework to deal with them as they will ultimately arise in all backcountry adventures.
Sara provides some tools to start this work for yourself and amongst your touring partners.