No Slide - Now What?

**meter-man** · 09-12-2014, 10:54 AM

What do you do when you get in a hairy situation that is objectively hazardous, it's your fault, and nothing happens? Conclude you had correctly assessed the risk factors and made the right decision to drop? Congratulate yourself on not having to write a "we were stoked, made mistakes, and it cost us our buddy" post? Chalk it up to your masterful mountain sense? Admit you got lucky and praise ullr?

Personally, I swear a lot, tell myself I'm not going to do it again, and then (stupidly) file the experience away in a dark recess of my mind. I must subconsciously conclude that, although red (or yellow) flags were present, I correctly assessed there were enough mitigating factors to be safe. It's a constant battle to maintain objectivity on risk management. More experience often ends up leading to increasing exposure, and sometimes mountains don't give a flying fuck about your experience or any mitigating factors. Unless of course, you were carrying a Beretta, in which case you're fine.

The self-critical evaluation in this Snowbrains piece on making dumb decisions in avalanche terrain with obvious red flag factors got me thinking about post-sketch evaluation. Check it: http://snowbrains.com/bariloche-arge...osed-alaskita/ I wish we saw more of this kind of thing in ski media from our spancered athletes. We can always criticize the decision-making after an incident, but it is rare to see a public confession of making obvious mistakes -- especially when there were no consequences and no slide.

**PNWbrit** · 09-12-2014, 11:06 AM

Reads like Snowbrains guy was solo? (apart from his gopro).

Yet no self reflection on that?

**meter-man** · 09-12-2014, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Reads like Snowbrains guy was solo? (apart from his gopro).

Yet no self reflection on that?

That's what it reads like. Obviously there are other mistakes too aren't reflected upon.

My point was not that he didn't make make mistakes or that he correctly identified all his mistakes, but that he had the balls to publicly post about his dumb decisions. Good for him.
I can't think of too many other public examples of folks recognizing their mistakes even when there no consequences.

EDIT: gopro does make a good partner in hairy scenarios

**PNWbrit** · 09-12-2014, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by meter-man

but that he had the balls to publicly post about his dumb decisions.

Balls or just creating "content" ?

**NW_SKIER** · 09-12-2014, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by meter-man

gopro does make a good partner in hairy scenarios

But he sucks with a rescue shovel.

**meter-man** · 09-12-2014, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by PNWbrit

Balls or just creating "content" ?

Both, obviously. He could have just posted about his sick his run was, some nice photos, said "I noticed some warming", and moved right along. Sure, writing it this way will pull readers, but I see no problem with MORE people reading this kind of thing. But maybe you just like to be critical.

**Mr brownstone** · 09-12-2014, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by meter-man

What do you do when you get in a hairy situation that is objectively hazardous, it's your fault, and nothing happens?

i'd call it a successful outcome. move on. be mindful, but don't beat yourself up over what didn't happen.

**Bcohen5055** · 09-12-2014, 03:09 PM

This is kind of like the "gateway drug" to bad decision making. When you do all the wrong things but don't have a negative outcome it changes how your mind considers the risk. Now future decisions are based on a lucky and (possibly) improbable experience. Probability will eventually catch up though and when it does you're gonna have a bad day.