[pct-l] Ice Axe Questions

[pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net (R.J.Calliger)]

I am 6-4, do a lot of alpine mountaineering, and have used a 90 cm
 ice axe for both steep snowy slopes as well as "a walking stick"
on less steep slopes- since 1973 or so...been  very happy with it.

I also have a 2nd ice axe- 55 cm in length that is light as it gets- titanium.
I use this one for shorter trips up steep slopes- such as a long day-hike
where I am traveling light and fast. I do miss the extra length but for
one day up a glacier and down it is not to nerve racking.

At 9:19 PM -0800 1/2/01, Jim Mayer wrote:
>    Hi!   This is more of a general mountaineering question  than a PCT
>one, but I'll ask it anyway!   I'm looking for three things:   (1) some
>advice on ice axe length. (2) some info on ice axe pick designs (3) a
>source for a snow basket for an ice  axe   Background:   I'm looking for a
>general mountaineering ice axe as  opposed to a "just in case" axe that
>will spend most of its time on my  pack.  I'd like to avoid carrying both
>an axe and poles, so I want to get  one that I can lean on without leaning
>over :-).  I currently own a 74cm  ice axe that is really too small for
>this purpose... when I put my plastic boots  on and hold the axe by my
>side the end of the spike is about 7 inches off the  ground... adding that
>to the length of the axe suggests that a 90cm axe would be  about right
>(going by the "just touch the ground" standard).   Now, a 90cm axe is a
>LONG ice axe.  Why it  would size out that way is beyond me... I'm only 6'
>2" tall, which hardly  qualifies me as a giant.  As far as I can tell only
>a few axes are even  made in that length, and one person I talked to at a
>local shop felt that an axe  that long would be rather unwieldly and
>suggested ordering something a bit  shorter (maybe 80 or 85cm).  Any
>thoughts?   Also, as I cruised the web looking at axes I  managed to get
>myself seriously confused.  Apparently there are two types  of pick tip
>designs.  These are described as having positive clearance  and negative
>clearance.  In a positive tip design, the tip of the pick  angles away
>from the shaft of the axe... kind of like this:       ____________   
>/_____   _____|               | |   In a negative tip design, the pick
>angles towards  the shaft, like this:        ____________     \____  
>_____|             |  |   Now, the ice axe info at REI says that a postive
>clearance design is better for self arrest and that a negative clearance
>design is better for overhead hooking in ice climbing.  On the other
>hand, Climbing magazine's online site
>(http://climbing.com/Pages/equipment/equipment-194.html)  argues that a
>negative tip design is superior because the postive tip can catch  in hard
>snow and yank the axe away... they state that a postive tip is used for
>vertical ice tools.  Since these statements seem almost completely
>contradictory, I guess I'm feeling confusted.  I don't even know how
>important this is!  Anyway, I'm searching for facts, pointers, and
>opinions!   Finally, for snow travel the idea of a snow basket  on the
>spike of the ice axe seems like a great idea.  I think someone on  this
>list mentioned seeing one, and I saw it mentioned in "Mountaineering:
>Freedom of the Hills."  Unfortunately, I can't find any references to one
>on the web.  If someone knows of a source for these things I would really
>like to know.   Thanks.   -- Jim Mayer