Risk and Responsibility

Risk is the likelihood of an outcome and the severity of its consequences when people are exposed to a hazard, or source of potential harm. Risk is a fundamental part of many mountain activities, and part of the reward of travelling in the mountains comes from successfully managing risk in an inherently hazardous environment. However, risk must be assessed by weighing the potential benefits against the likelihood and consequences of negative outcomes.

Different people have different definitions of acceptable risk, or “risk tolerance,” and an individual’s risk tolerance may vary depending on their goals and objectives. For example, climbers and skiers pursuing more difficult routes are often willing to accept higher levels of risk in exchange for the greater rewards associated with achieving a more challenging objective.

Mountain environments are hazardous and involve varying degrees of risk and uncertainty, or gaps in information. In some cases, uncertainty can be reduced. For example, uncertainty about the strength of a snow bridge over a crevasse can be reduced by gathering more information. You can probe to determine where the ice ends and the bridge begins, or move to the side to gauge its thickness. In other cases, uncertainty cannot be reduced. For example, it is impossible to know where lightning will strike or when an ice dagger will fall from above an ice climb.

ACMG guides are trained to the highest standards in the world and are experts in managing and reducing mountain risk. Guides and guiding companies communicate with clients before and during a guided activity to ensure that the trip’s goals and objectives align with the client’s expectations. Guides will provide information before the trip, but clients are also responsible for making sure they are well-informed and able to decide whether the activity fits within their risk tolerance and aligns with their goals and objectives. Guides attempt to manage risk to acceptable levels for all participants.

When hiring a guide or signing up for a guided activity, you should make sure you are well informed about the nature of the activity and its hazards. You must weigh that information carefully and decide whether the activity aligns with your goals and risk tolerance. Your guide will provide pre-trip information outlining the main hazards, and communication will remain open before, during, and after your trip. If you have questions, ask your guide, and they will do their best to answer them.

Risk means exposure to hazard; even very low risk still involves some degree of exposure. In the mountains, risk and uncertainty can be reduced, but they cannot be eliminated. Managing risk to acceptable levels can be difficult and complex, requiring subjective assessment of many changing variables and often a choice between multiple options. Your guide will do their best to reduce risk while helping you achieve your goals and objectives. They will also communicate and work with you to establish goals and objectives that both you and your guide are comfortable with. Even when your guide successfully manages risk to acceptable levels, they cannot eliminate it completely. Accidents and fatalities can still occur on guided trips.

You need to consider your own level of acceptable risk for a given goal or objective and speak up if the perceived level of risk becomes too high for you.