[pct-l] Self Arrests

[calliger@infolane.com (R.J.Calliger)]

Another common error is to forget to do a few or 4 practice falls PRIOR
to getting into steep/needed territory....we can talk all we want about
technicque...but where the rubber meets the road...err the ice meets
the snow... is practice....before u need it...I am always amazed what a
long summer can do to obviate my skills, especially if I don't do any
summer glacier climbs.

Rich

At 7:26 PM -0000 1/7/01, Joanne Lennox wrote:
>Use your feet in a self arrest, unless you have crampons on and than used
>your knees.
>
>YOUR BACK SHOULD BE ARCHED IN A SELF ARREST; YOUR BELLY SHOULD NOT BE EVEN
>BE CLOSE TO THE SNOW.   The arch in your back drives the ace ax into the
>snow and your feet into the snow.  In soft snow, you need your feet to stop
>you as well as the ice ax - this becomes real obvious in steep and soft
>snow, you often use mostly your feet.  If you wait too long to put the
>arrest in (no time to consider options), or apply it too fast than you can
>cartwheel.  You need to practice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>A common arror is to hold the ax too far above the chest.   This results in
>having the ax pulled above the head and subsequently ripped out of your
>hands.  Keep the ax diagonally across the middle of the chest, the top hand
>just above the shoulder, the bottom hand at your side.
>
>Joanne
>
>----------
>> From: Bighummel@aol.com
>> To: CMountainDave@aol.com; AT1996@aol.com; pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Self Arrests
>> Date: Sunday, January 07, 2001 8:53 PM
>>
>> CMountainDave writes:
>>
>> << Aggresively kicking into the snow with your feet at
>>  the same time also helps to stop you.  >>
>>
>> DON'T DO THIS UNLESS IT IS YOUR LAST CHOICE AND NOTHING ELSE HAS
>WORKED!!!
>> If you feet catch while blasting down a slope feet first guess what will
>> happen?  That's right, you'll cartwheel head over heels causing broken
>bones,
>> death, or worse!!  It has to be real slushy for this to work.
>>
>> Greg "Strider" Hummel
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