[pct-l] ULA Helix Ice Axe

[pdascalos at gmail.com (Peter Dascalos)]

The ice ax can be used a number of different ways as dictated by the
activity. But in the case of hiking/backpacking the ice ax would be used
primarily one of two ways:
If the snow is fairly soft and the shaft of the ice ax can be jambed into
the snow, you would you would use it as a deadman. I carry the ax by the
head in the uphill hand, if I should slip and feel myself going down, I
would set the ax handle into the snow as deeply as possible, hopefully to
the head. I also should have the leash attached to my wrist. On more then
one occasion I have lost my grip on the head of the ax and ended up saved by
the leash.
Or if that fails to hold or you cannot set the handle deep enough to stop
your slide, you would then roll on top of the ax and force the pick into the
snow/ice to stop you slide. Hopefully if it is icy, you would have have
crampons on as well, and you would use the front spikes to assist in
stopping your fall.
The key in either case is to stop your fall as soon as possible. It becomes
increasingly difficult to stop your slide as you speed increases!
Now, in the first case the strength of the shaft becomes fairly important.
If I can set the handle only part way the torsional strength is crucial.
Happy Holiday's, Hike Safe....
OC

On 12/15/05, Jerry Goller <jerrygoller@backpackgeartest.org> wrote:
>
> I'll be the first to say that I'm not a climber, I'm a backpacker. But
> maybe
> you could clear up something I am unclear on.
>
> I can see how a heavier ice axe would do a better job of penetrating ice
> or
> hard snow when swinging it. But I can't see how even a pound or two
> greater
> weight on the head of the axe could increase penetration when using it for
> self-arrest considering I will already have somewhere over 100 pounds of
> me
> pushing down on the head when self-arresting.
>
> How does that work?
>
> Jerry
>
>
> http://www.BackpackGearTest.org : the most comprehensive interactive gear
> reviews and tests on the planet.
>
>
>
> One excellent point made in their discussion: "Keep in mind that aluminum
> headed axes may not have the weight to penetrate hard snow or ice." Having
> taken a few glacier falls (hard ice), I was very happy to have had my good
> technical-rated 32 oz Charlet Moser axe with me instead of my lighter
> weight
> basic-rated Grivel Mount Blanc. It was over-kill on that particular
> glacier,
> but if you only get one chance to arrest a fall, you want an axe that will
> do the job, not bounce off.
>
> Wandering Bob
>
>
>
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