It is further argued that certification programs will reduce outdoor accidents. Such results sound like an administrator's dream. No more worry. The certification badge will cure all ills. I submit that certification provides little tangible improvement, and in many cases, burdens outdoor programs and unions with ponderous, bureaucratic hassle and greater expense.
Certification can also indirectly lead to greater risks in outdoor activities.
Before progressing further, a point must be made. What is being discussed here is certification, a badge or paper that says a particular individual is qualified to be a leader in the outdoors. It is this badge or paper of which I take issue. No one debates the benefits of classes and courses which update skills and knowledge. The debate has never been so prominent as in the case of the American Alpine Club .