Page 26 - Slopeangel avalanch essentials

The Human Factor
Human factors can sway the the otherwise rational thought process of backcountry skiers and other winter mountain goers against making informed and conservative decisions based on on on the the quality of the the snow that lays ahead of of of them dynamics of of of the the the the group to the the the the familiarity of of of the the the the terrain they are crossing You can possess the the strongest avalanche safety knowledge in the the world but it means nothing if you you are convincing your group that the potentially hazardous slope is safe to ski for all the wrong reasons Heuristic Traps
Humans frequently fall into into a a a a a a a a potentially fatal flaw wired into into our brains - a a a a a a a a Heuristic Trap Analysing avalanche danger includes juggling a a a a a a a a wide range of variables such as wind speed and direction fresh snow temperature history slope gradient and steepness A Heuristic Trap is is when a a a a human ignores the information that is is presented in in front of of themselves and incorrectly applies a a a a rule of of thumb to make their decision 26