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[pct-l] On Ice Axe Leashes



As one of the people that went into the snow too bloody early last year, 
I can attest to the necessity of a good axe leash. Pretty much everybody 
that was out there when we were had ice axes, but very few had actual 
good leashes.

If you ask me, an axe without a leash is like a car without seat belts. 
Sure, the brakes should work, but when they don't you better have a 
back-up plan. Sure, you may be able to suddenly tighten your single, 
cold hand enough around the sharp cold metal thing in it to support all 
of your weight in the amount of time it takes for your head to lower to 
your knees, but if you perhaps lose your grip, or not respond that 
quickly, you'll be glad when there is something tied around your wrist 
that keeps you tethered to your anchor.

 From personal experience, once (maybe twice) was I able to hold onto 
the top of my axe when I really needed to. The rest of the times, I hurt 
my hand trying, and then was caught by the leash (thereby hurting my 
wrist and shoulder, but stopping the slide).

HYOH, but please, if you're getting an axe, get a leash.

-mike


Peter Dascalos wrote:

>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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>>
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