Dr John Lowder, Was [pct-l] Re: ice axe

[calliger@infolane.com (Richard Calliger)]

At 06:40 AM 2/20/02 -0800, Joanne Lennox wrote:
>
>
>----------
>> From: Slyatpct@aol.com
>> To: brick@fastpack.com; pct-l@backcountry.net
>> Subject: Re: Dr John Lowder, Was [pct-l] Re: ice axe
>> Date: Friday, February 22, 2002 6:18 PM
>> 
>>.  He was most likely in whiteout 
>> conditions when he fell and may not have had time to react.  The others 
>> bivouacked.
>> 
>> Sly
>> 
>
>What does a whiteout have to do with putting in a self arrest?  It should
>be automatic and absolutely as fast as possible.
>

hmmm ..never heard of it as "putting in a self arrest"...one performs a
self arrest...putting in implys an anchor...

anyway.. in a white out I found my reaction time was actually FASTER by
maybe 2-3 times... as my adrenallin(sp?) was pumping, I was taking baby
steps (knowing I should have stopped)..could not see 2 feet ahead of
me...I only knew what direction I was going becasue of the compass and
the footprints in the snow which were filling up QUITE EXTRAORDINARILY
AND SURPRISINGLY FAST!!!

It sounds like I am the only one here that has actualy been in the deep
shit of a white out.. I was very scared, the emotions were heighted to
the nth degree..(I was fearfull of a) falling b) getting lost c) not getting 
home to my son becasue of a or b or d) avalanche taking me off the f'ing
hill...)...AND MY GRIP ON MY ICE ACE was as  TRUE DEATH GRIP.. 
I also strapped it to my wrist with a double hitch-- that sucker
was not getting lost... I could here avalanches behind me and to the 
right and left of me every few seconds it seemed..

and.. I was prepared at a split-seconds notice to dive face first 
if I fell and perform the perfect arrest and catching
myself in the proper self-arrest position.


By the time I got off the mountain 6 hrs later I think I lost 5 lbs
and my hands and arms wobbled, shook and spazed for 15 minutes
afterwards....

rich

PS-

This was on Mt Blanc after 2 days in from Chamonix (sp?)
...I was truely "lucky" to come back
alive...