[pct-l] Self-Arrest

[Andrew McDavid]

The context I have generally seen the whippet used is for backcountry
skiing/ski mountaineering in which one cannot hold an ax.  For that purpose,
it is clearly better than nothing, and undoubtedly safer than trying to ski
down some icy col with an ax flying wildly in hand.

But as others have pointed out, it's probably a poor substitute for an ax if
one can safely carry one (arguably, mainly because it doesn't afford as
secure self-belay positions).

-Andrew

On 4/20/07, Hiker97 at aol.com <Hiker97 at aol.com> wrote:
>
>
> f_ootslogger03 at yahoo.com_ (mailto:footslogger03 at yahoo.com)   writes: One
> thing I will say for the Whippet     ...at least  it's in your hand as
> your feet
> go out from underneath you and you begin to  slide.  The vast majority of
> photos I've seen show the high performance ice  axes proudly displayed on
> the back
> of hikers backpacks.
> --------------------------------------
> That is a good point.  It reminds me of the stories of people who  die out
> in
> Mother Nature and when they are found, they have all the stuff with  them
> to
> survive.  They just did not use it.  As for me, I never have  to worry
> about
> self-arrest because I do not hike in snow.  As soon as I see  snow on the
> trail
> I head back to the motel and the hot tub.  Hike  over.  It is a great
> system.
> And very safe too.   :-)
>
> Switchback the Snowshoeless
>
>
>
>
>
>
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