Fat skis are a risk management tool and other Goldie Nuggets: Sara Boilen x Larry Goldie
Dec 26, 2024
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In this engaging discussion, Larry Goldie, an IFMGA licensed mountain guide and co-owner of North Cascades Mountain Guides, shares insights from his extensive career in avalanche safety. He delves into the challenges women face in the guiding field and the critical nature of effective communication in high-risk situations. Larry recounts a harrowing avalanche experience to illustrate the dangers of mitigated speech, emphasizes the importance of clear decision-making, and discusses how shared stories can foster community and enhance learning in outdoor sports.
Clear and assertive communication is essential in high-risk situations to prevent tragedies like avalanches that stem from mitigated speech.
Women in the guiding community often foster a collaborative attitude, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity for improving group dynamics and learning.
Adopting a mindset focused on quality and safety over extreme thrills can enhance long-term enjoyment and sustainability in outdoor skiing activities.
Deep dives
The Impact of Avalanche Awareness
The episode emphasizes the critical importance of remaining aware of avalanche risks while engaging in outdoor snow activities. The host and guest discuss a near-miss incident where poor communication led to an avalanche, highlighting how easily situations can escalate. Learners are encouraged to assess their environments carefully and recognize their limits, as they often overlook the true severity of the risks involved. This situation illustrates the necessity for clear, assertive communication regarding hazardous conditions to ensure everyone's safety.
Communication Styles in Mountain Guiding
The discussion reveals significant insights into how communication dynamics differ between mixed-gender and female-only groups in mountain guiding contexts. The guest notes that women often display a more positive, collaborative attitude, which enhances the overall experience and communication flow. Clear observations about how women guide can be easily co-opted by men were shared, emphasizing the need for the guiding community to better represent and encourage female participation. This highlights that inclusivity can lead to improved group dynamics and encouraging learning environments.
Mitigated Speech and its Risks
The concept of mitigated speech is explained as a key factor contributing to miscommunication in high-risk situations. Instead of clearly alarming one another about dangers, individuals often downplay risks for fear of sounding alarmist, leading to disastrous outcomes. The conversation emphasizes the need for direct and urgent communication, especially in scenarios involving potential threats. This reflects on underlying human tendencies to rationalize or diminish dangers rather than confronting the realities of the risks involved.
Sense-making as a Decision-Making Tool
The importance of sense-making is presented as a valuable tool for navigating uncertainty in outdoor settings. The dialogue illustrates how understanding and discussing observations during activities can help in making informed decisions, emphasizing that decisions should evolve with new information. This contrasts with static decision-making processes, underscoring that effective guiding is ongoing and requires constant reevaluation of the surroundings. It advocates for a culture of continuous communication that keeps everyone informed about changing conditions.
Quality Over Quantity in Outdoor Adventures
Participants encourage a shift in focus from seeking extreme thrill in skiing to valuing safety and experience quality. The discussion posits that creating meaningful and memorable moments in safer environments can contribute significantly to overall enjoyment of outdoor activities. It underscores that life is a long journey, and skiers should prioritize enjoyable outings over the adrenaline rush of risky runs. By adopting this mindset, individuals can engage in the sport for longer and build sustainable practices that ensure safety and enjoyment over time.
In this episode of the Avalanche Hour Podcast, host Dr. Sara
Boilen interviews Larry Goldie. Larry is an IFMGA licensed mountain guide and co-owner/lead guide for North Cascades
Mountain Guides. He has been the snow safety director and heli ski guide for North Cascades Heli since 2005. Larry works on the AMGA instructor team, and teaches pro and recreational avalanche courses. Sara and Larry discuss the challenges women face in the guiding and avalanche education fields, the importance of effective communication in guiding, and share personal experiences and lessons delivered in the arena. Larry emphasizes the need for clear, concise communication and the value of maintaining options in decision-making while navigating the complexities of the backcountry. In this conversation, Larry shares a harrowing personal experience of surviving an avalanche, emphasizing the critical importance of clear communication and the dangers of mitigated speech in high-risk situations. He discusses the psychological factors that lead to downplaying risks and the need for honest assessments of danger in backcountry skiing. The conversation also highlights the value of debriefing to learn from experiences and improve decision-making in uncertain environments.
