[pct-l] crampons?

[Bob Bankhead]

The harder the snow - or on ice - the less effective these ultralight axes are. With their low-mass heads, they are not designed for use under those conditions, but unless one is very early into the mountains, one is not likely to encounter those (crossing the Packwood Glacier below Old Snowy in the Goat Rocks section of WA state being an exception). Nonetheless, you do need to be able to recognize the difference so you don't make the classic mistake of taking a knife into a gun fight.

Bob
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Greg Kesselring 

  Hi Bob,

  You can call it a rant if you want.  Me, I'd call it good advice, telling it like it is.  Steep hard snow is dangerous unless you have the equipment and skills to negotiate it safely.  

  In addition to having practiced self arrest, knowing about snow conditions is also necessary.  Once the snow becomes hard enough (closer to ice than snow), it may become difficult to arrest at all on it.  In conditions like that, the only safe way to negotiate a steep slopes is with a belay and belay anchors.  

  Those kinds of conditions during high summer in the Sierras are probably unlikely.  But early morning hours you might find hard snow like that.  Or on north facing slopes that are out of the sun if the ambient temp is near or below freezing.  But if you do come across hard steep snow, I would think you could just wait till later in the day to tackle it when it will likely soften up.  

  I like your advice about considering where you'll end up if you fall.  The harder the snow, the faster you'll accelerate which is something to keep in mind as well.  Mushy soft snow, you probably won't slide very far at all.

  Greg


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