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[pct-l] To Crampon or not to Crampon
- Subject: [pct-l] To Crampon or not to Crampon
- From: tahoe.cat at verizon.net (Bill & Cathy)
- Date: Sat Jan 7 09:14:33 2006
- References: <280.3754874.30eb92d2@aol.com>
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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