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[pct-l] To Crampon or not to Crampon



Hi All   I bought a 90cm ice axe from campmor but it does not come with a
strap. Do any of you know where you can buy just the strap?  Thanks
Remember
"Be Prepared"  Ground Pounder  Bill  "Semper Fi"
----- Original Message -----
From: <Mtnned@aol.com>
To: <liveoakhill@oroville.com>
Cc: <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 12:41 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] To Crampon or not to Crampon


> Everyone's input thus far has been right and good but not very
explanatory.
> Let's take the closer, more practical look.
>
> To Crampon or not to Crampon on steep slippery or icy spring snow.
>     First of all, you have the choice to avoid  it.  Wait for the ice to
> soften by traveling later in
>     the morning when you can get a better grip on the  snow.  Snow melts
> during the day and
>     freezes at night.  Be smart and give it an  hour or so before
venturing
> out.  Go easy at
>     first, testing your traction with each step.
>
> Plan your climbs for midmorning, when the snow isn't icy and not soft
enough
> to post-hole.
>     Once you get to the top, glissade or butt-slide  straight down on the
> softening snow. This
>     is a gas, but be ready to self-arrest if you lose  it.  If the snow is
> post-holing already and
>     you still have a lot of snow ahead, you can either  stop for the day
or
> seek alternate
>     routes either out of the snow onto rock or into the  trees where the
snow
> is colder.
>
> If you must travel on slippery snow, because of schedule constraints or
the
> sudden discovery
>     of an icy path ahead with no way around it, on the  Crest in the
spring
> use some form of
>     traction improvement on your feet with an uphill  ice axe in your
hand.
> Whether you use
>     screws in your shoes, rope tied around your feet,  instep crampons, 10
or
> 12-point
>     crampons, or simply chop foot holds for each step,  be prepared to do
> something to help
>     you hang onto the mountain.
>
> I carry an axe and instep crampons and wear deep lugged vibram soles with
> pronounced heels for braking.  I can still glissade the steeps and suncups
and
> grip ice and rock fine in the morning. My axe is long for use as a rudder,
> chopping, plunge-climbing, and balance in the creeks.  The insteps are
small
> and light and don't kill me if I inadvertently brush against them when
tied to
> my pack.  Since I have these crampons, I do my passes very early in  the
> morning when the snow is still hard.  I can move faster without fear of
slipping
> or post-holing by doing my miles early in the day.
>
> The efficiency of your progress is based almost entirely on the snow
> conditions.  Know how to travel over each condition and you will reach
your
> destination safely.  Know the snow.  Dig a snow pit once in a while to
see how the
> pack is settling.  If there's still corn or granular snow in  there,
beware of
> possible sluffs caused by your own compression of the pack or  your tracks
> creating a trigger fault line on a traverse.
>
> Food for thought.
>
> Mtnned
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