THE HUMAN FACTOR
The human factor: an aspect of prevention that’s far too often overlooked, even though it’s very frequently the real reason behind a wrong choice—and ultimately behind the accident itself.
Too often, when an avalanche accident happens, we try to explain it by analyzing the group’s technical choices and the snow and weather conditions at that moment.
Sure, we can almost always find reasons that explain the trigger of the avalanche and people’s behavior. But we don’t always manage to really pinpoint what set off the chain of bad decisions that ultimately led to the release and its consequences.
Mountain safety relies heavily on observation and reasoning. Of course, technical skills and knowledge, physical fitness, and training all matter. But the ability to observe what’s going on around us and, based on that, to think things through and evaluate options before deciding and acting is absolutely essential—and often underestimated.
The real problem is that the brain doesn’t always think in the same way. And very often, whether we like it or not, it gets influenced by other factors that can seriously affect the decisions we’re making.
That’s the human factor: an aspect of prevention that’s far too often overlooked, even though it’s very frequently the real reason behind a wrong choice—and ultimately behind the accident itself.
A few examples:
If we’re feeling down, angry, or overly excited—even for reasons that have nothing to do with the trip—we’re likely to make different decisions, either more aggressive or more cautious, and that can affect the whole group.
A highly anticipated trip planned long in advance, a hut already booked, or clients who have already paid a guide to reach a specific summit all create pressure on the person in charge. That pressure puts their ability to make the right call at risk. It’s better to be aware of it.
A group with mixed levels of experience will more easily rely on a leader chosen for the occasion; the less experienced members will follow the most skilled person, who will clearly carry the responsibility for the decisions made. But a group of friends with similar skills risks never really deciding who’s in charge. Decisions then bounce from one person to another until the most convincing voice wins—and that’s not necessarily the best choice.
The curse of social media clouds the mind. Chasing a cool video in a tricky situation or just a few more likes can push people to accept higher risks. Not to mention the imitation effect: doing things seen on a phone without realizing that those videos are often shot by experts, carefully planned, done in very specific conditions, and sometimes even backed up by a support team ready to step in if something goes wrong.
Habit (“I’ve done this tour many times”), routine (“I’m just following the track in front of me”), fatigue, or worries unrelated to the trip all reduce our attention—and, more importantly, our willingness—to stop, observe, and think before deciding.
And then there’s the “White Orgasm.” Who doesn’t love being the first to draw a perfect line on an untouched slope? It’s classic to move a bit to the side to carve your own turns, often underestimating the fact that you might be skiing onto a different, less stable snowpack. And sometimes it’s really hard to keep proper safety distances between partners when riding down in deep powder.
See you soon!
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Ernesto Bassetti
Ernesto is one of the leading snow and avalanche experts in Italy and beyond.
By passion and by profession, he has been involved in mountain safety for over 40 years, with particular attention to the avalanche issue.
He is co-founder, and until 2020 Vice President, of MND Group; important international player in the field of mountain infrastructure and world leader in controlled avalanche release systems.
He is a ski instructor, National Ski Mountaineering Instructor, former director of the Mario Righini Ski Mountaineering School.
He was promoter, co-founder and soul of the "Servizio Valanghe Italiano" (Italian Avalanche Service), of which he held the Presidency for 18 years.
