Human Factors in High-Altitude Mountaineering

Wickens, Christopher D.; Keller, John W.; Shaw, Christopher G.

doi:10.7771/2327-2937.1065

Cited by 31 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This broadly phenomenological [28] study uses autobiographical memory [29] to construct narratives (presented as vignettes) to explore a personal experience of cognitive dissonance and associated strategies of reduction in a specific ski mountaineering context. Not surprisingly, autobiographical memories have previously been used in analysis of high-altitude mountaineering studies or other outdoor activities to analyse actions and decision making, relationships with risk and other related psychological, social or environmental elements [1,5,6,[30][31][32][33][34]. However, many of these examples involve analyses of others, as opposed to personal, experiences.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring Cognitive Dissonance on a Ski Mountaineering Traverse: A Personal Narrative of an Expedition to ISHINCA (5530 m) in PERU

Hart

2019

Sports

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Through a personal narrative account, this paper explores the nature of the author’s cognitive dissonance experienced during a traverse of a high-altitude ski mountaineering objective (Nevado Ishinca 5530 m) in Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. The author experienced psychological discomfort in the ascent and a role of self in determining a continued commitment with the ski mountaineering challenge. Distraction, trivialization, act rationalization and finally attitude change were all used in attempt to reduce negative levels of cognitive dissonance. The lack of consonant cognitions to support abandoning the climb, the notion of free choice, the role of self-concept and self-esteem values motivated continued commitment until the negative levels of arousal subsided. Through a challenging mountaineering experience, I developed a greater self-awareness of the role of commitment to an objective which could be applied to other life events and experiences.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High motivation, commitment and effort are required to achieve a mountaineering objective [1][2][3][4][5][6]. However, investigation into the process of continued engagement with, and maintenance of commitment to, a mountaineering objective is less widely investigated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring Cognitive Dissonance on a Ski Mountaineering Traverse: A Personal Narrative of an Expedition to ISHINCA (5530 m) in PERU

Hart

2019

Sports

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“…At high-altitude, mountaineers must learn, develop, and refine acute situational awareness vis-à-vis both external environmental and internal bodily indicators, and monitor weather and terrain conditions in conjunction: the bodymind-world linkage instantiated. Interviewees thus expressed how crucial it was to be vigilant and to monitor closely the weather and other environmental conditions during both the summit ascent and descent (see also Wickens et al, 2015). For example, during the ascent phase, experienced participants recounted paying close attention to rock formations and other features of the mountain, which could then subsequently aid their route-finding, should the weather deteriorate or the light fade: I'm always looking over my shoulder.…”

Section: Weather Work and Somatic Attunementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Embodiment in High-altitude Mountaineering: Sensing and Working with the Weather

2018

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In order to address sociological concerns with embodiment and learning, in this article we explore the 'weathering' body in a currently under-researched physical-cultural domain. Weather experiences, too, are under-explored in sociology, and here we examine in-depth the lived experience of weather, and more specifically 'weather work' and 'weather learning', in one of the most extreme and corporeally-challenging environments on earth: high-altitude mountains. Drawing on a theoretical framework of phenomenological sociology, and an interview-based research project with 19 international, high-altitude mountaineers, we investigate weather as lived and experienced both corporeally and cognitively. We are particularly interested in conceptualising and theorising the ways in which embodied beings relate to the environment through different aspects of their being. The novel concepts of 'weather work' and 'weather learning', we argue, provide salient examples of the mind-bodyworld nexus at work, as an embodied practice and mode of thinking, strongly contoured by the physical culture of high-altitude mountaineering.

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“…Meta-analyses of fatigue and performance literature report consistent findings that fatigue negatively impacts several functions, but in particular visual attention, vigilance, decision-making, and other complex cognitive functions (Bourne & Yaroush, 2003). In addition, simple tasks like drinking water may have extreme consequences if not completed properly, especially in extreme environments such as those encountered during the Grand Canyon R2R hike (Wickens, Keller, & Shaw, 2015).…”

Section: Cognitivementioning

confidence: 99%

Physiological and Cognitive Factors Related to Human Performance During the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Hike

Divis¹,

Anderson-Bergman²,

Abbott³

et al. 2018

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

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Exposure to extreme environments is both mentally and physically taxing, leading to suboptimal performance and even life-threatening emergencies. Physiological and cognitive monitoring could provide the earliest indicator of performance decline and inform appropriate therapeutic intervention, yet little research has explored the relationship between these markers in strenuous settings. The Rim-to-Rim Wearables at the Canyon for Health (R2R WATCH) study is a research project at Sandia National Laboratories funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to identify which physiological and cognitive phenomena collected by non-invasive wearable devices are the most related to performance in extreme environments. In a pilot study, data were collected from civilians and military warfighters hiking the Rim-to-Rim trail at the Grand Canyon. Each participant wore a set of devices collecting physiological, cognitive, and environmental data such as heart rate, memory, ambient temperature, etc. Promising preliminary results found correlates between physiological markers recorded by the wearable devices and decline in cognitive abilities, although further work is required to refine those measurements. Planned follow-up studies will validate these findings and further explore outstanding questions.

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Human Factors in High-Altitude Mountaineering

Cited by 31 publications

References 39 publications

Exploring Cognitive Dissonance on a Ski Mountaineering Traverse: A Personal Narrative of an Expedition to ISHINCA (5530 m) in PERU

Exploring Cognitive Dissonance on a Ski Mountaineering Traverse: A Personal Narrative of an Expedition to ISHINCA (5530 m) in PERU

Embodiment in High-altitude Mountaineering: Sensing and Working with the Weather

Physiological and Cognitive Factors Related to Human Performance During the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Hike

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