Case Study: Planning for Mishap with Will Gadd

Aug 7, 2024

Will Gadd, an ACMG Alpine Guide and accomplished athlete known for his ice climbing feats and world records in paragliding, shares his insights on adventure and risk. He recounts a gripping experience on the Fuhrmann Ledges, underscoring the unpredictable nature of outdoor activities. Gadd emphasizes the crucial role of communicating risks to clients and preparing for potential crises, like rockfalls. His strategies on risk management and the importance of situational awareness reveal how thoughtful planning can lead to safer and more enjoyable adventures.

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ANECDOTE

The Furman Ledges Incident

Will Gadd recounts a near-miss rockfall incident while guiding on Furman Ledges.
Despite assessing the risk as low, he discussed a rockfall plan with his clients, which proved crucial when rocks fell, resulting in a broken arm but potentially saving lives.

ADVICE

Communicate and Prepare

Communicate risks clearly with clients, including potential hazards and emergency plans.
Discuss the plan in case of a crisis to prepare them mentally and physically.

ADVICE

Stay Aware, Avoid Complacency

Be situationally aware, even when perceived risk is low.
Check for signs of recent rockfall and encourage clients to do the same, avoiding complacency.

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Adventures have risks. It doesn’t matter how much you plan, or how well you manage situations, if you are having an adventure, something can go wrong. It is impossible to make adventures 100% safe. If they really are safe, then there isn’t any risk which means they aren’t going to be adventures!

For this reason, planning for mishaps, emergencies and surprises is another essential step when it comes to delivering adventure.

In this episode, we share a story from ACMG Alpine Guide and professional athlete Will Gadd to highlight the importance of planning for mishap. Will’s story takes place on the Fuhrmann Ledges in Banff National Park and is an excellent example of the value of planning for mishaps, even when you think there is a low risk of something going wrong.

Will Gadd has a long list of accomplishments including first ice climbing ascents of Niagara Falls and on Mt. Kilamjaro, winning three gold medals at the X Games, and setting the paragliding world distance record twice.

Key Takeaways

Here are a few things that Will did very well:

Communicating the Risks: This includes Will communicating what could happen to his clients and himself. In this instance it’s a given that Will would have had his clients sign a waiver and would have talked to them beforehand about the risks they could face.

Discussing the Plan in the Event of a Crisis: This put the idea in their heads that rock fall could happen. More importantly it helped to prepare them for the moment when it actually did happen.

If you fail to plan you plan to fail.

Being Situationally Aware: Even though Will felt that there wasn’t a high probability of rockfall, he still went through the process of preparing everyone, looking for signs that rockfall had occurred recently, and encouraging his clients to do the same.

Five Hazardous Attitudes: At least one of the Five Hazardous Attitudes that is always present in human caused accidents. They are Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho and Resignation.

Guest Bio

Will Gadd is a professional sponsored athlete and ACMG Alpine Guide. Among many of Will’s feats are first accents ice climbing Niagara Falls, Helmcken Falls, Icebergs and many other ice climbs around the world including on the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. Will is also a world-class white-water kayaker and paraglider. He has twice set the world record for the longest paragliding flight.

As an elite athlete and professional guide, Will is extremely experienced when it comes to evaluating risk and making decisions that could have serious consequences for himself and the people he is leading or working with. This makes Will one of the perfect people to talk about the power of judgment.

Guest Links

Contact Will to be your Guide, Instructor or Speaker: https://willgadd.com/

Instagram: @realwillgadd

The Last Ascent, Kilimanjaro: https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/films/the-last-ascent-will-gadds-return-to-kilimanjaro

A Fun Ted Talk: Three Simple Tools to Manage Risk, Fear and Children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTdFkPTTnsA