[pct-l] Ice axe?

[Matt Geis]

Original message below.

Nobody can accurately predict or tell you whether you'll NEED an ice axe.  It's a matter of whether you want one.

You don't know if you're going to fall.  Maybe you will, maybe you won't.

If you fall, you might just get lucky and slide a foot or two (before accelerating into an uncontrollable fall into whatever awaits you below).

You might be able to arrest with something other than an axe.  Keep in mind that it's better to put all that braking power into an axe than into your body.

You may bring an axe, but never take it off your pack, or carry it incorrectly so you can't get into an arrest position.  You may have it in the right position, but if you don't have any experience with it, it may be useless.

All in all, you may not need one, but the correct question to ask is whether you want one.  Risk is a product of the likelihood of an incident and the severity of the incident if it happens.

My own experience:  
PCT:  Had one, didn't need to use it to arrest, but was glad to have it.  It helped me to get some early hiking in on some hard and slippery ice.  Saw another hiker who cut the handle of the axe short to save weight (note -- he cut the part that provides the lever that drives the pick into the ice, effectively removing the part of the axe that generates the real braking power).  Before the mountains, he bragged about how "ultralight" he was.  By VVR, he'd taken a hell of a fall and was unable to arrest with his useless safety device, and hurt himself.

Mountaineering:  Glacier routes, easy routes, rock, ice, high altitude, US, international.... I've taken falls and arrested quickly enough that they were non-issues, and always been glad to have the axe with me (and glad that I took the time to learn how to use it properly).

Best of luck, and don't rely on someone who gives you a YES or NO answer on whether you should bring an axe.  It's a lot more nuanced than that.

Iron Chef

**********
From: Aaron Nicholson
Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2013 10:08 PM
To: pct-l
Subject: [pct-l] Ice axe?

I'm getting mixed messages about whether I'll need an ice Axe in the sierras
this year. I plan on leaving Kennedy meadows on may 27th or so.
Any thoughts? Also, how's the mail speed into KM? If I were to have it
mailed on monday, would it arrive by the 27th? Thanks Aaron