[pct-l] Crampons Advice

[AsABat]

I recall once on the PCT on Baden Powell using the ice axe to
self-belay on a steep slope when the very soft snow under my feet
collapsed and I was hanging from the axe until I could stomp some
steps. (In this case, I plunged the axe shaft into the snow rather
than the more typical self-arrest position.)

AsABat

On Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 10:11 AM, Eric Lee <saintgimp at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Jeremy wrote:
>>
>
> What do you all think about whether crampons are necessary around this
> time in the high Sierra?
>>
>
> Probably not.  Crampons are needed on steep, hard, icy slopes where you
> can't get good purchase with your shoes and there's a significant risk of an
> uncontrolled fall.  Crampons are necessary in those conditions but there are
> a couple of problems with crampons.
>
> The first is that they can be more of a danger than a help to a novice.
> (You didn't say whether you have experience with this gear.)  Strapping
> sharp metal spikes onto your feet can have unintended consequences if you
> don't know how to use them.  You can trip yourself up, shred your clothing,
> or even lacerate yourself.
>
> The second is that they can be worse than useless if the snow is soft and/or
> sticky.  You can get snow balling up in the points so that not only do you
> not have any firm purchase, you're actually walking around on ice cubes.
> Not very helpful.
>
> While there will still be steep snow-covered slopes in mid-June, the best
> strategy is to time your traversals of them so that the heat of the day
> softens the snow and you can kick steps.  Soft snow also means that if you
> do slip, you're less likely to go into an uncontrolled fall.  Of course,
> soft snow may also mean postholing so I guess it's a tradeoff.
>
> I'd still recommend an ice axe (though some don't) because it's very useful
> as a safety anchor in sketchy situations.  It can also be used for
> self-arrest but that's something you probably want to have practiced first.
> If you have to self-arrest then you've already mostly lost the battle.  It's
> much better to not have to self-arrest in the first place.
>
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