Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors
THE two day safety seminar for instructors who want to understand Human Factors and the skills to operate safely.
MOUNTAIN CRM
Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors
Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors is the two day safety seminar for instructors who want to understand the limits of human performance, develop their Non-technical skills and Decision Making to improve safety.
Building on our popular workshop Human Factors Fundamentals (HF-F), this is a deep dive into Human Factors (HF) for instructors. Consistent with our online offering, Mountain CRM (e-learning) this safety seminar uses the concepts of ‘Crew Resource Management’ (CRM) from the aviation industry, but applied to work in the mountains. Although CRM emerged from the flight deck, Mountain CRM uses real world examples and case studies from mountaineering. The title is deliberate, this seminar is pitched to mountaineering instructors working in the mountains, using relevant models and examples that complement the Mountain Training awards.
You will learn how to understand human vulnerabilities and develop strategies optimising decisions to improve safety in summer and winter.
MOUNTAIN CRM – OBJECTIVES
Objectives of Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors
Summer or winter, activities in the mountains are delivered by people. Mountain professionals who make sure that things go well the vast majority of the time, even when faced with changeable weather and conditions. Over two days we will look at Human Factors in our decision making, the theory and the reality.
We combine this with the Non-technical Skills that we can all develop to operate more safely, while delivering high quality experiences for our clients. Finally, we examine the approaches to accident analysis to understand how our own individual performance is related to teams, organisations and the outdoor sector.
// Decision Making
// Non-technical Skills
// Accident Analysis
Objectives
- Understand the factors that affect performance.
- Understand the factors that influence Decision Making.
- Understand the seven Non-technical Skills areas relevant to Mountain Instructors performance.
- Know how lapses in these skills can influence events and contribute to accidents.
- Develop our understanding of system safety.
- Develop and manage resources to help Mountain Instructors performance.
Programme
Day 1
Introduction to Human Factors that underpin Decision Making.
- Human Factors – the sector, organisation and the professional
- Hazardous attitudes for the mountaineering instructor
- Behavioural traps and biases
- Stress and Fatigue
- Perception and Attention
Decision Making Theory and Errors
- Rasmussen’s SRK model
- The Recognition Primed Decision-Making (RPDM) model
Decision Making Models
- Models for the mountaineering instructor
- Improving Decision Making
- Decision Making in the wild
Decision Making Case Study
Day 2
Developing Non-technical Skills for the Mountaineering Instructor
- Situational Awareness (SA)
- Decision Making
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Task Management
- Cognitive Readiness
- Communication
- Case Study – Lapses in Non-technical Skills
How accidents happen…
- Using a systems lens
- Avoiding the blame game
Case Study – Accident Analysis
Is this for me?
Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors offers something for all stages of your career, perhaps you are:
- An experienced Instructor looking to add value to your work?
- A newly qualified Instructor keen to develop expertise outside the core syllabus areas? Or,
- You want to know how to speak up to raise a concern?
- You want to reflect on your own practice and the factors that influence your decision making?
- You looked at an accident report, but don’t understand why the event wasn’t foreseen?
MOUNTAIN CRM – TRAINING LOCATIONS
Our Locations
We hope to be able to bring Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors to participants across the UK.
The first pilot will be located in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands on the 27th and 28th of November 2025.
Ideally situated for travel in the “centre of Scotland” between Lochaber and the Cairngorms, Human Factors for Instructors will be based at: Am Fasgadh (Highland Folk Museum), Kingussie Road, Newtonmore, PH20 1AY
MOUNTAIN CRM – MORE INFORMATION
Bookings
Maximum Number of participants: 12
Cost: £290 per person
This includes seminar based teaching representing 14 hours of contact time with our team, and supporting course materials. These include both printed and online resources. Coffee will be available!
Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors can also be delivered at your centre or place of work for a fixed fee for a maximum of 12 participants. Please contact us for further details.
Bookings can be made directly by signing up here. You will also find this course listed on Tahdah. This seminar carries 2 CPD points for members of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI).
Dates
27th and 28th of November 2025. If you can’t wait please contact us for private course delivered at your centre or place of work.
Our Team
Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors is principally delivered by James Thacker following the success of our other short courses such as Human Factors Fundamentals (HF-F). However, when reflecting on your work as a Mountaineering Instructor different perspectives are invaluable. It is for this reason that we have chosen to form a wider team that includes Keith Ball to bring the additional perspectives of outdoor centre, independent and Mountain Training delivery work.
James Thacker
IFMGA Mountain Guide and WMCI
Over 25 years of Outdoor Education, instruction and guiding forms the foundation for Mountain CRM. James also provides technical advice, subject matter expertise and consultancy in mountaineering disciplines and the management of adventure activities. He is a Senior Consultant with Adventure Activity Associates Ltd, SAIS Forecaster and CWMT Trustee and has a BSc in Environmental Geoscience, and a PgCert in Workplace Psychology.
Keith Ball
WMCI, IML
Keith brings a huge breadth and depth of experience to Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors. He has worked on over 400 Mountain Training courses for a variety of providers, and has played a pivotal role in the development of many mountaineering instructors. As a long standing member of the Association of Mountaineering Instructors (AMI), Keith also sits on the AMI committee with responsibility for Professional Standards.
What is CRM?
Graham Stein explains Crew Resource Management (CRM) and HF in aviation and the mountains.
Make a booking for Mountain CRM – Human Factors for Instructors?
Check for places and book here…