Viristar delivered a three-hour workshop on the science of safety to the 2025 Mountain Adventure Skills Training cohort at College of the Rockies in Fernie, British Columbia. Viristar has provided a workshop as part of this course since 2021.
The session, Adventure Tourism and the Science of Risk Management, was part of the program’s three-credit Risk Management in Adventure Tourism course. It introduced AcciMap and the Risk Domains model, examined the uses and limitations of probabilistic risk assessments, reviewed principles of Just Culture, and explored ways to evaluate and improve safety culture within adventure organizations.
Participants completed self-assessments of the risk management systems in an adventure program of their choice. Many outdoor organizations have a strong commitment to safety, but participants noted that opportunities for improvement remain for some.
The workshop concluded with a case study of a drowning in New Zealand’s Mangatepopo Gorge, followed by an analysis of contributing factors across various risk domains. The exercise reinforced the interconnected nature of adventure program risk and the value of a systems-based approach to managing it.
The nine-month Mountain Adventure Skills Training (MAST) program prepares aspiring adventure professionals and skilled recreationalists through industry certifications, technical instruction, and cohort-based learning. Students spend about 60 percent of their time outdoors in the Canadian Rockies, building skills through field courses and experiential training.
Graduates enter a growing adventure industry with roles in tourism and recreation. Alumni have become certified mountain, ski, rock and hiking guides; launched their own adventure businesses; and taken on leadership roles at adventure tourism organizations globally.
In addition to its work with MAST, Viristar provides risk management consulting services and outdoor and adventure safety training to organizations and professionals across Canada. Viristar has delivered best-in-class risk management solutions in more than 80 countries and territories worldwide.
