[pct-l] Re: ICE AXE SIZE

[mgeis at yahoo.com (Matt Geis)]

I'm about 6' tall, and find that a 65cm axe works well
for me.  An axe is not a walking stick or a cane --
it's a safety device to prevent you from falling, and
to help you stop your fall should one occur.  Too big
or too small an axe will compromise one or both of
those reasons for having one in the first place.

You'll find all sorts of opinions about what size axe,
how to use it, etc., so rather than go into a whole
diatribe comparing my experiences with that of other
climbers on this list (there are certainly other
people on this list who have solid alpine resumes as
well, who will give you a different opinion on what
axe to use or how to use it), I'd simply take the
party line and recommend you take a class, try an axe
out before buying one, and see what works for you.

For example, on anything with a moderate to better
angle, I keep my axe on the uphill side.  For me, a
75cm axe would be unwieldy in that position (because
the ground where I'd place my axe is often 12 inches
or more higher than my feet).

Iron Chef

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