We have seen it go a step further where the alpha male/loudest mouth in the group openly declares the avy professionals as "pencil pushing desk jockeys who don't know our terrain". Obviously, the view point of one narrow minded individual.
As educators, this is the hardest battle to win. We have all seen word of mouth used as a very powerful advertising tool. A well known personality in a particular region can use their considerable influence to deliver a particular message...productive or counter productive. This is one example of the negative effects of the "Expert halo" that is discussed at length in human factor lectures...to place an unqualified person in charge of planning, preparation, travel techniques, etc. Followers in a group whether inexperienced or not inclined to make decisions may place this expert halo on a non deserving member of their group/community...or this "expert" may take it upon his/herself to be the one. Strong, loud, confrontational, type A personalities can easily become this person.
One example that I have been party to has been leading a particular riding group (30+ riders in a formal club) down a road of zero avy training. He has taken the stance that any avy training that is worth anything will not take more than a couple of hours to deliver in a quick classroom session. And that he would gladly deliver his version over hotdogs on the trail. This person has himself had zero training. This extreme case is an example of how dangerous these people can be. Picture the young/innocent riders who are directed unwittingly by friend or family to join the club to "learn the ropes" of riding...these new riders will not only be stunted for the rest of their riding days, they will also become part of the problem that we as educators face...resistant to learn the real thing.
Our best option is to use the real expert riders to spread the word about the importance of being trained. A true expert who is fully trained and aware of the issues is a powerful tool in the world of avy education, there is nothing better at this time. As educated people who know the difference, we need to work around the
untrained "experts" to pluck the followers out of their groups. Then get them into classes that will show them what the hazards actually are. Show them how little they (and their riding partners) actually know compared to what there is to know. Show them what would happen if they had to do a rescue right now, this very instant. Would they have a multiple burial situation due to putting multiple riders on the slope at a time? Would they be totally solid with beacons and probes so that digging would start asap? Do they understand that after prevention, decreasing burial time is the key to survival? This list of questions can go on and on as many of us know...the point is that until people get educated, they have
NO IDEA that these considerations even exist. They don't even view avy terrain or the back country as a high risk environment.
We need to use word of mouth ourselves, ours needs to be louder and more wide spread than that of the non avy trained! ((shakes fist in air while standing on soapbox))
