Backcountry
Up to 90% of non-fatal avalanches do not get reported. But why?
In America, there is a strong culture of shaming when it comes to avalanches. No one wants to admit that they messed up and triggered a dangerous avalanche.
In this podcast, Utah Avalanche Center forecaster Drew Hardesty discusses the importance of being open about avalanche involvements and near misses, and how we can cultivate a culture of learning, absolute transparency, and non-judgment, regardless of individual risk tolerances.
He elaborates on how often people who trigger avalanches fear a loss of respect. They fear reprisal. They fear they might lose their place on the soapbox. There’s a major concern that they may lose their job. But above all, people fear being shamed.
So how do we fix this? Hardesty outlines it in the podcast. He says to put yourself in other people’s shoes. To practice humility. And to destroy shame!
To learn more about this podcast and the Utah Avalanche Center, click here.
