Ice Axe Arrest practice

[chinook2]

Any suggestions for accessible places to teach a couple of newbies ice axe arrest this late in the season? (Minimum time spent approaching with good runouts and varying terrain.)

[plark42]

where you comin' from? I taught my girlfriend on mt. adams.. on the south spur route..

[markharf]

Yup, depends on where you're at. Ptarmigan Ridge (Mt. Baker backcountry) has plenty of snowfields with minimal suncups this year, 1-2hour hike from the car.

[jmckay]

visualisation. It seems that it is a very americain habit of placing the pick forward while carrying the ice axe. I can only guess that this is a comfort thing with the adze resting on the palm. Bring the axe into play for self arrest becomes a bit more complex. The actual times that you need to be worried about self arrest are few and far between. Be aware of the terrain below 9and above0 you and prep in advance. Min. the time if you rehearse in your mind what needs to be done. Placin the pick back whenthe hazard is higher may reduce the time that the axe comes into play.

[thelawgoddess]

visualisation. It seems that it is a very americain habit of placing the pick forward while carrying the ice axe.

the only time i do that is if i'm using the pick for balance -- like on a steeper slope or next to a snow ledge of some sort. while walking i carry it adze-forward.

[jmckay]

Just an observation. I would say 8 out of 10 thought it might be a non-metric thing.

[Crampon]

Bloody French...........

[jmckay]

Calling An Alberta born and raised redneck like myself french is like calling you a mountaineer.

[Crampon]

LOL.......This armchair career of mine is a pain.

 

BTW You can't affect me.

[Thinker]

While you're at it, teach them the more general skills of "self arrest", which can be done with an axe as well as with ski poles, pickets, fingers, frozen horsecock, or almost anything else one may have in their hands at the time of a fall.

[tread_tramp]

"It seems that it is a very americain habit of placing the pick forward while carrying the ice axe."

 

This is the method I prefer because with the palm resting on the adze, in the event of a slip, it is easier to thrust the shaft of the axe into the snow for a self belay.

[jmckay]

But we are talking self arrest are we not. Say your not wearing your crampons crossing a steep neve slope. your footing goes, try using the pick to arrest. You will find it fairly awkward I think to bring the pick into play. It is definitly another step. With the amount of friction between your nylon clothing and the hard snow you can reach 80-90 percent of your terminal velocity with the key word being TERMINAL. The point of self arrest is to catch things before they get out of hand. much in the same way that short roping is intended to stop a slip from becoming a fall. Not saying that one couldn't/shouldn't carry your axe like that but be well aware of your enviroment. have you ever slipped on a slope when you were expecting to? Ever been caught with your pants down?

[Crux]

With each plunge of the spike into neve, pressure is transmitted to hand. If pressure is distributed to the palm by the relatively sharp edge of the pick rather than the relatively broad surface of the adze, then impact pressure is concentrated over a smaller area of flesh, which may cause a bruise that subsequently hampers the effectiveness of spike placement and may even weaken the handhold relied upon during the event of self-arrest.

 

Regardless of what fatigue may or may not be suffered by the hand because of using one grip or the other, a more secure spike placement may be delivered when the hand is pushing down on the broad surface of the adze rather than pushing down upon the spine of the pick.

 

Emphasis on self-arrest grip is one thing; emphasis on making a secure spike placement when standing in balanced position is another. Both are important, but on moderately steep snow the latter is usually the priority. It's a matter of being ready to stop a fall versus avoiding the fall in the first place. To do both, I like to be able to drive my hand down hard upon the adze when I need to exert force down the shaft, either for spike placement or for self-belay.

 

Transitions to self-arrest grip are part of self-arrest practice, as are subsequent parts of the self-arrest procedure such as the all-important driving of the head of the axe into the center of the earth.