Re: [pct-l] Self arrest with trekking poles

[Bighummel@aol.com]

Ouch!  I just wouldn't make a trade off on this one.  From personal 
experience, glissading down a steep, hard packed, snow bank, even without a 
backpack on to complicate things, you can attain speeds that will scare the 
hell out of you.  I'd rather have a real ice ax with a tether to my wrist.  
Without the tether (and I'm not speaking of a wrist strap here) you are 
likely to lose the trek pole/acte at the first application into the snow.  

IMHO, if you think that you might need an ice ax, carry one of the light ones 
that they make today, DON'T compromise on some quasi tool that "might do the 
trick".  I would sincerely doubt that the strength of a trekking pole can 
withstand the forces that you're likely to put on it.  Ice axes, even the 
light ones, are designed specifically for this.  

Back to my last suggestion: Don't enter the Sierras (or for that matter, the 
San Jacintos) when there is still appreciable snow and ice at high altitude 
unless you have experience, knowledge, equipment and willingness.  Buy or 
borrow an ice ax and practice with it.  Get instruction, read a book, take a 
course or find an experienced friend and throw yourself down a snow covered, 
safe, steep hill every way you can think of.  The more familiar you are with 
the disorientation, speed and panic of this situation, the more you will be 
ready when and if you ever need it.  

The up side of this is that a planned, controlled glissade with an ice ax can 
be one great, exciting ride!  It can also get you down a steep descent in a 
fraction of the time of walking or climbing down.  

A day hike I took this last summer in the high Sierra with lots of snow still 
around took about 4 hours to climb from 9,000' up to a ridge/pass at 11,000'. 
 The descent, nicely planned out as we ascended, took about twenty minutes 
and was as good as a great ski run.  My inexperienced friends looked aghast 
at me as I took the first leap down an intimidating, snow covered, slope.  
When they saw that I took it easily under almost total control they followed 
cautiously at first and then with more and more confidence as they learned 
and began to trust the snow conditions.

Try this out.  Your life may depend on it, and you will expand your 
capabilities, confidence and maybe even have fun.

Greg "Strider" Hummel
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