[pct-l] ice axes - thoughts.

[Bighummel at aol.com (Bighummel@aol.com)]

David Tibor writes: "He said that once you start sliding, "you've lost." 


This is sooo true.  I have, in my 30 years of mountaineering and ice climbing 
experience, had two experiences of serious uncontrolled sliding.  Both times, 
my experience with ice axes and self arrest helped me to survive.  In both 
instances the runout would have been potentially fatal.  In the first, the 
runout was into a rock lined, ice filled couloir.  I got lucky on this one.

In the second I was intentionally trying to glissade down a long, steep, 
soft, slope with a great runout, except for that huge single boulder way down 
there, where surely my speed will be so manageable that I can certainly avoid it.  
In this instance the fact that I had a wrist strap attached to the axe saved 
my life.  It went something like this; I sit down and begin sliding using the 
axe as a side brake (this had worked beautifully on a higher slope), however, 
I misjudged how steep and slippery this slope was and very quickly attained a 
speed that was incredible and I realized could take me into the boulder way 
down there at a speed that wouldn't be good.  And, of course, the single 
obstacle just couldn't, wouldn't get out of the way as I zeroed in on it.  I rolled 
over onto the axe in self arrest, however, similarly to those scenes in some of 
the more recent mountaineering movies, my speed and momentum ripped the axe 
from my hands.   The wrist strap kept it with me, but increased the danger of 
it whacking me in the head as it flailled wildly above my head, all of the 
while, I increased my speed.  I gathered my resolve and recontrolled the axe and 
this time rolled over onto it with a death grip, as I eyed the large boulder 
rushing towards me!  The axe slowed my decent as I arched my body onto it and 
drove it into the slush and ice.  I was able to, at the slower speeds, to curve 
my decent to just miss the boulder to one side using my legs and feet to 
steer, and . . . I just cruized by the boulder at a speed that surely would have 
broken both legs and compacted my spine into an accordian!   I missed it by just 
this much!

David's and other's advice is good.  Don't wait for an accident to happen 
before you know what to do with the axe.  Practice, practice, practice.  Thus, 
when it happens, if it happens, your brain will go into a repetition memory mode 
and at least have give you a chance to save yourself or minimize the 
potential injury.   

HYOH,

Greg