[pct-l] ice axe/self arrest

[frtripi <frtripi@zeus.kern.org>]

I am a newcomer to the list and, come April, I will be a greenhorn on
the trail. Up to now, I have read every message that has been posted
since November. Most of the information has been very useful to me; I
have felt bad that I have not had anything to contribute...up to now.
I have just returned from a 1 day seminar on the proper use of the ice 
axe, self arrest and self belay. It was offered by MAS, in Bear Valley.
Having lived on the East coast for 20 yrs., and winter camped on few
occasions, snow is not new to me. This course however, was an eye
opener. The instructor's name is Aaron Johnson, MAS's phone no. is
(800) 362-5462. I would strongly reccomended it, even if it appears that
this years' snow fall will be such that the ice axe might not be needed.
One of the things that I have learned in preparation for my thru-hike is
that the only predictable thing about the Sierra wether is its
unpredictability. By the way, Aaron did a great job, not only with the
main subject but also with tips and suggestions about hiking, in
general. This is the only contribution I can make, so far. Later....
frank
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