Decision-Making Systems in Early-Stage Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders

Abstract

This thesis study is an exploratory look at the deeper layers of influence behind backcountry skiers and snowboarders who have five or fewer years of experience in the backcountry. This user group is relatively new to the sport, which provides an excellent opportunity to examine many of the influencing factors that come into play when entering and progressing into the activity. The human factor is a system and much deeper than heuristics and sharp end decision-making, and this is key to understanding what affects a person when traveling in the backcountry. Through a survey and individual interviews with this user experience group, various factors within the system of influence and how they interact with the decision-making process were identified. The findings show that the role of avalanche education is significant and important to this user group, as gaining the education that these courses provide has become essentially required experience prior to entering the backcountry. The roles of avalanche safety equipment and of social media also proved to be influential. These factors and more impact and inform the decision-making of an individual while they travel in avalanche terrain. To really understand the human factor, these influences, and methods to understand need to be considered. This study demonstrates how layered and multifaceted the human factor can be when looking at specific user groups.