[pct-l] Mountaineering School / Ice Axes

[scourtway at bpa-arch.com (Steve Courtway)]

I did the northlake southlake loop in late June of this year, and I noted
that in the 2 sketchy situations I was in on steep snow on the North side of
Muir Pass and the West side of Bishop Pass that had I gone down, an ice axe
would have been no help whatsoever.

Just a thought,
s.c.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris Willett" <CWillett@pierce.ctc.edu>
To: "David Dieffenbach" <dmd@email.arizona.edu>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 12:05 PM
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Mountaineering School


> For the self arrest and self belay (more important) techniques, check out
a copy of Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills.  Also, read up on
glissading.  You don't really need to pay an instructor to show you the
basic skills for the PCT.  Learning to cut steps is fairly straightforward:
Just know which end of the axe to swing.  Glissading is easy also, but you
need to know how to use the axe while doing it.  One picture from the book
is worth a thousand words.  The only other thing you might want to do is to
get some experience travelling up and along with snow.  That is, how and
when to kick steps, on what sort of slope should you worry, etc.  If you
can't get it, don't worry:  Many people cross the Sierras with little or no
experience (I crossed with one) on snow.  Just make sure that at Kennedy
Meadows you link up with someone who does have the skills and is willing to
show you (this won't be a problem).
>
> Suge
>
> ---------------------------
> Christopher Willett
> cwillett@pierce.ctc.edu
> Pierce College
> 9401 Farwest Drive SW.
> Lakewood, WA. 98498-1999
>
> > ----------
> > From: pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net on behalf of David
Dieffenbach
> > Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 11:12 AM
> > To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> > Subject: [pct-l] Mountaineering School
> >
> > Once again I call upon the intellignet minds of many here on the
list-serv.  I
> > apologize if this is not directly related to the PCT, but in light of
the
> > ongoing discussion of ice axes/self-arrest procedures I was curious to
know if
> > anyone out there has had experiences or has good advice regarding
> > mountaineering schools.  I am an experienced hiker and I am working on
becoming
> > an experienced backpacker, but I feel there is still so much for me to
learn.
> > Funding aside, is it worth it to partake in one of these outdoor
instructional
> > schools?  All thoughts are very much appreciated.  Suggestions regarding
> > particular schools are a plus.  Thank you all again!
> >
> > Bear Down,
> > Wildcat Dave
> >
> >
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