[pct-l] Ice axe and training

[Ned Tibbits]

An Ice Axe is just a tool.  If you don't know what to do with it, it is just dead weight
and can hurt you, too!  

Please, before you find yourself on trail and headed up into the snow, receive training from an experienced person who can demonstrate its use before you and coach you as you practice!

An Ice Axe can help you through many a tricky situation on snow or ice, but primarily it can save your life.

To answer Rebecca Mezoff's question, there are many places around the country, mainly in the mountains, where exist schools for mountaineering training.  She mentioned Seattle, where there's Seattle Mountaineers, Rainier Mountaineering, REI, to name a few, and Colorado where schools, clubs, college outing organizations, and retail store classes must abound.  Another thought for people in New Mexico is to learn and practice in Taos.  There's got to be a mountain shop there who will teach you with ski slopes nearby to slide and tumble on!

Mtnned

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <csxii at schizoaffective.org>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 8:29 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Ice axe


> On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 10:42:55 -0700, Corky Corcoran <corcoran at corky.cc>
> had this to say:
> 
>>Hi,
>>
>>Basically all ice axes of the type used for chopping steps, 
>>self-arrest and belaying are the same, at least as far as I 
>>know.  The only real differences are length and weight.
>>
>>You want as light as possible.  Most of the time it is dead weight.
> 
> I've got a Black Diamond Ice Axe, I think it's the called the Raven
> pro.  It's light and made with titanium.  I had to use it to self
> arrest a couple of times last spring while descending Mount Ellinor in
> Olympic National Forest.    This was in snow with no ice.     
> 
> On one occasion I was using it as an anchor while glissading but went
> out of control and was starting to tumble down the mountain, the axe
> was ripped out of my left hand but I held on to it with my right hand
> and managed full self arrest with the Axe.  That was scary, I  kissed
> my ice axe and silently thanked the person who taught me how to use
> it.
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