[pct-l] ice axe length

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good afternoon, Nathan,

I’m about your height and have two axes: a 45cm and a 50cm.  Remember: PCT
hiking bears only the faintest resemblance to alpine mountaineering.  Any
axe length you happen to have is OK, provided you really need one, and know
how to use it.    http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=264671



I’ve arrested falls three times; each time it was with the tip of a trekking
pole.  Another time I did a “controlled (?) decent” of a steep snowpack face
using the sharp tip of a skinny, foot-long rock that happened to come to
hand.  It had a "0"cm handle length.



For the rare instances that I have to chop a few steps into the snowpack,
the easiest axe to use would have a handle as long as a garden hoe, but I’ll
just bend over and use my short-handled axe instead.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Sat, Jan 29, 2011 at 12:55 PM, Nathan Ventura
<nathanrainer at verizon.net>wrote:

> Just received my 70cm tall ice axe in the mail. I am 5' 10" and
> according to the sizing chart this length is good for low angle 15
> degree slopes. I was surprised by how short it is now that it is here.
> Is this really a good length. I bought it from REI so it would be easy
> to return for a different size. Any suggestions for as to what length
> would be good for someone of my size on the grades that I will be
> hiking with it would be appreciated.
>
> -Rainer
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