The Canyoneering Attitude Zones

Canyoneering is a risky endeavor. But just how risky?

Originally published in Instructional Canyoneering Resource on 6/22/2020

I have been surprised on how for some peers, it represents serious risk, enough to merit training, but for others it is not that risky. Sometimes, it even seems that the notion of training and learning just kills the fun of it for some.

And this is the important part: Canyoneering is Fun

For some, in order to be Fun it needs to be done with a sense of safety, and for others, it needs to retain the sense that it is exciting and a little bit dangerous. It is here at this subjective balance of Safety and Danger that we find the Attitude Zones

With or without training, consciously or not, when we are in the outdoors, we are constantly managing risk. It is going to rain? Is there any deep water? What is the CFS? Do we have enough water? Do we have enough rope? What do we do if the rope gets stuck?

Risk Averse

People in the Conservative Zone, ask questions, identify risks and mitigate the risks.

Risk Taker

Risk Takers, maybe identify the same amount of risks, but decide not to mitigate them.

Do not even know that they are at risk

But there are some in the DKE zone (Dunning-Kruger Effect)

This is the zone where we feel that there is no risk, because we are confident in our abilities, but in reality, we are just failing at identifying the risks.

We may think that the DKE zone is just for beginners, but not so. As we acquire skills we can become overconfident on them, and sometimes fail to see the risk-mitigation cycle:

Every time we address a risk with a tool or technique, we introduce another risk.

There are many examples of this, but a classic example of this cycle is rappelling with a self-belay: We are mitigating the risk of losing control of our brake by installing a prusik, and at the same time, we are introducing the risk of getting stuck on our own belay/prusik.

DKE interacts with the Conscious Competence Model stages:

• Unconscious Incompetence

• Conscious Incompetence

• Conscious Competence

• Unconscious Competence

If you Lead or Guide, learn to identify these profiles in your group, and learn leading techniques to address them, and retain levels of safety and levels of fun.