[pct-l] Question about ice axe

[Bob Bankhead]

"Do I really need to carry an ice axe?"

Depends on where you go and when. Most PCT thrus don't carry one; the smart ones do. What's your life worth?




" Won't crampons be sufficient? "

Absolutely NOT.
Walking in crampons without tripping yourself is a learned skill. Also, the security added by wearing crampons can lure one to venture into areas where falls are not only likely (or else why wear them) but tend to be life-threatening. So if when you do fall, your will desperately need the ice axe - IN YOUR HANDS, not on your pack - to stop your slide. Trekking poles will snap like matchsticks.

Proper use of an ice axe is also a learned skill that must become a reflex. Once you fall on high angle snow or ice, you'll have only seconds to use it before your fall speed becomes too much for it to overcome. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE with a knowledgable instructor on a safe runout.

Prove to yourself that you can safely arrest a fall from any of the four orientations (listed in order of increasing difficulty); feet-first on your belly, feet-first on your back, head-first on your belly, and head-first on your back.


Wandering Bob