ridehikeclimbski Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 http://news.bellinghamherald.com/stories/20030822/TopStories/152839.shtml Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 imagine the horror when he found the "other hole." Dear god. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babnik Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 for sure. a 3/4" metal tube went though my gut! time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 "In an unexpected situation, it did not come automatically. Todd believes he might have started off hacking at the snow with the adze instead of the pick" Â Many people carelessly hold their axe with the adze under the heel of the hand because it is more comfortable, but you can't arrest that way. A fellow named Peter Morse was killed on Kendall Peak that way. The adze is useless for self-arrest and it may not be possible to turn the axe around in the instant that it is required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Necronomicon Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 It's amazing what you can do when you're in shock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scot'teryx Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 The self belay grip that is taught in many mountaineering groups is a real bad habit. Â I am so used to the self arrest position that any other way does not feel right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 scot'teryx said: The self belay grip that is taught in many mountaineering groups is a real bad habit. Â I am so used to the self arrest position that any other way does not feel right. we should all emulate you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 scot'teryx said: The self belay grip that is taught in many mountaineering groups is a real bad habit. Â I am so used to the self arrest position that any other way does not feel right. Â It's fine on a mellow snowfield when you're using your axe as a walking stick. People just need to remember to flip it around when it gets steep or they go on a glacier. Â That guy was pretty burly. I hope he comes out of this ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cj001f Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 scot'teryx said: The self belay grip that is taught in many mountaineering groups is a real bad habit. Â I am so used to the self arrest position that any other way does not feel right. This arguments been going on for what, 30 years now? Who cares? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkemp Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 Odd, just a few years ago a man was killed on the same mountain - you guessed it - impaled by his own axe in a fall. Â This dude was burly. and plenty lucky. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 so did the axe come out by itself or did he pull it out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Simpkins Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I'm glad he's ok. I hope they work out their money and I hope noone took his stuff. Â I played in a band with his brother, back in the day. Â There was someone else a few years back that died from the same thing on the same snowfield. Â It's good to take every step as if your going to slip. Â Everyone take care out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I remember a story where a guy was impailed on Mt. Washington in N.H. What saved his life was the fact he hiked down with the ice axe still in him. Had he removed it, he could have bled to death. Just something to remember. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 WOW! Thanks for sharing the story! It is amazing the will we have to stay alive and what adrenaline will get us through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 I remember there being a picture of a dude with an ice axe sticking out of him floating around the internet somewhere. Anyone have the link? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted September 2, 2003 Share Posted September 2, 2003 David_Parker said: I remember a story where a guy was impailed on Mt. Washington in N.H. What saved his life was the fact he hiked down with the ice axe still in him. Had he removed it, he could have bled to death. Just something to remember. Â From what I've heard, he was glissading down Tuckerman's Ravine and forgot the cardinal rule of glissading (take your crampons off!) He caught a point, went tumbling, and when he finally stopped, his ice axe entered his abdomen from one side, and exited the other. He got up and walked down the trail, and made it all the way down to Pinkham Notch where the medics, ambulances, and a horde of people were waiting to see this guy walking down with an ice axe embedded in him. Turns out it went between his stomach and his abs, doing the least amount of damage possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Figger_Eight said: I remember there being a picture of a dude with an ice axe sticking out of him floating around the internet somewhere. Anyone have the link? Â Here is the pic. Â Warning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 Figger_Eight said: I remember there being a picture of a dude with an ice axe sticking out of him floating around the internet somewhere. Â this whole body modification thing is getting outta control. know what im saying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lummox Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 carolyn said: Warning! how the fuck did he get the handle like that? what position would his body been in? 10 pts for creativity fersure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 catbirdseat said: Many people carelessly hold their axe with the adze under the heel of the hand because it is more comfortable, but you can't arrest that way. A fellow named Peter Morse was killed on Kendall Peak that way. The adze is useless for self-arrest and it may not be possible to turn the axe around in the instant that it is required. Â I believe that the Adze is quite often actually MORE effective in slushy summer snow where the pick will just rake through if there isn't anything more firm within the top 6" or so and, yes, the Adze IS more comfortable. It is really not that hard to turn your ice axe around in the event of a fall -- especially if you practice it at all. Â I believe that plain old inexperience is probably much more of a hazard, as is wearing crampons on a slope where they are not necessary. I also believe that the modern practice of using ski poles on lesser slopes and carrying only 50mm tools is probably more dangerous than holding the ice axe "backwards" -- grab your 50 cm tool and lie down on the snow some time and look where that spike is in relation to your abdomen; then switch out for the more traditional 70 cm ice axe and check it out. I haven't conducted a statistical analysis of ANAM to see if my theory holds, but the short tols sure look like an obvious danger to me and, despite what they guy said, I would guess that the shortness of his axe may have been more of an issue in this recent accident than was using the adze instead of the pick -- it wasn't either adze or pick that went into his belly (I can't tell from the picture, but it looks as if it may be a "modern" length tool). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 What? Nobody wants to stand up for the righteousness of ski poles and the 50cm tool for general mountaineering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 mattp said: What? Nobody wants to stand up for the righteousness of ski poles and the 50cm tool for general mountaineering? Â I smell a trolling of the waters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 I just don't fall on snow in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 I'd rather be poked in the stomach with my short axe than get it in the nads with a longer one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa_Eagle Posted September 3, 2003 Share Posted September 3, 2003 I prefer trekking poles on lower angle stuff because they provide good balance, and I know how to do a pole arrest. If it gets steeper, I use a traditional axe (75 cm) and a pole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.