[pct-l] Ice Ax

[Steel-Eye]

Good evening, David,

 

It's too early to know what residual snowpack you may encounter approaching Kearsarge Pass, but you probably won't need an axe around mid-July.  However, if you plan on eventually buying an axe anyway you could have it available at home for some pre-trip practice and for a last-minute decision.  

 

As you may have noted from AsABat's reply, opinions vary about leashes.  I'll take the other side of the issue.  I use a leash on my ice axe for several reasons:  If I were to loose grasp of an axe that was not tethered, it would be gone, with essentially no chance of regaining it during a fall.  If I survived the fall there's a high probably it would be gone for good, or as a minimum, extremely difficult to retrieve for the climb out.  Fortunately I haven't had to try to arrest from a real fall, but I have had to "let myself down" a few times, and I've lost my grip on the axe .... much to my embarrassment .... only to see it skitter off down the hill.  That was when chopping steps while wearing fleece gloves over a smooth-shafted axe.  Subsequently, I added a leash and provided a highly slip-resistant grip surface to the shaft.

 

If I were to fall with a loose tethered axe, maybe I won't be able to regain control of it .. maybe .. but there's zero chance if it isn't tethered.  There's a moderate chance of my being struck by a loose, tethered axe.  If the axe were to strike me, there's a good chance I would be hit by part of the axe that is not damaging, meaning any part except the pick and the spike.  If the pick or spike did strike me, there is only a small chance that it would hit my body somewhere that would cause significant damage.  I would worry most about my eyes, however I wear full wrap-around, tethered safety sunglasses to obviate all but the slimmest chance of that happening.  If I survived the fall the tool would still be with me to assist in climbing back up to the trail.

 

An arrest is best performed when grasping the axe head in one hand and the shaft with the other.  Setting the pick into snow crust during a slide can result in abrupt force acting to pull the axe out of one's grip.  It seems to me that the shaft hand takes most of that retarding force, and if that hand slips the arrest will fail.  A properly used leash will not let the hand slip off the shaft.

 

I can't think of a snowpack traverse that required me to change hands with the axe.  There may have been some, but what I remember of areas where I used .. or wished I had had .. the axe, is that they were all on the same-side hill orientation, however, changing may be necessary when switch-backing.



Enjoy your trip,



Steel-Eye

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Craft 
  To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
  Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 11:55 AM
  Subject: [pct-l] Ice Ax


  Greetings, 

  My PCT Section Hike continues in 2008.

  I am planning a hike from Kennedy Meadows to Kearsarge Pass in mid July.  Not knowing how this winter will end and spring begin, where might an ice ax be needed besides Forrester Pass?  Do folks carry them up Whitney?

  Here is an inexpensive ice ax at REI for me and my two hiking partners.  Any other suggestions??  I assume a leash and cover are needed also.  I haven't seen any snow since Baden Powell!

  http://www.rei.com/product/767353

  David Craft
  Greensboro, NC
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