[pct-l] ice axe

[mark v]

> 
> "Do I really need to carry an ice axe?"
> 
> Depends on where you go and when. Most PCT thrus don't
> carry one; the smart ones do. What's your life worth?


That's one opinion.  There are however other "smart ones" that plan to cross dangerous slopes when the snow is soft, kick in good steps, and always keep 3 points of solid contact (one foot and 2 poles) if there is even an infinitesmal chance of a dangerous fall.  What needs to be weighed is the chance of falling, the chance of an ice axe arrest stopping a serious fall (which is depressingly low, since you don't have seconds to react...you have a fraction of a second to react, and then are still in need of luck), and the physical effects of carrying extra weight and how that increases your chances of error causing you harm.

Of course, that's an equation nobody can complete accurately.  Everybody has to make their own decision.  My decision, as a novice mountaineer doing the PCT last early June, was to bring the axe and see for myself.  After seeing for myself though, now i would NOT bring the axe again unless i was going in May, or in June of a heavy snow year.  Crampons either.  The sun softens the snow so fast up there.  And there are steps to follow by early June.

I've seen a lot of people on snow now, both at my level and less experienced.  I really think that people thinking about arresting a fall, fall more often.  They don't kick in steps as hard, or they lean slightly back.  A climbing instructor i had more recently convinced me that the mindset needs to be on not falling, absolutely, no matter what.  Not that you don't learn what to do if you fall.  But while you're up there, it's not the time to be running through in your head how you're going to self-arrest.