Re: Ice Axes
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:16 pm
BD Raven Ultra 55cm for mountaineering, BD Vipers for waterfall ice. I'm 5'11, and I've found the shorter the better for a mountaineering ice axe.
drpw wrote:i pretty much use mine exclusively to arrest a fall.
seano wrote:drpw wrote:i pretty much use mine exclusively to arrest a fall.
Interesting. I've used my general mountaineering axe for everything from moderate snow and neve, to very easy ice and mixed (both placing the the pick and wedging the pick or adze in cracks), to cooking sausages over a campfire. Then again, I also find piolet-canne useful sometimes. Maybe I just have bad balance.
Ben B. wrote:You probably just don't use trekking poles...?
seano wrote:Ben B. wrote:You probably just don't use trekking poles...?
This -- Though some people swear by them, I think they're kind of a racket, and almost useless for people without joint problems. I'd rather carry a slightly longer axe than a pair of collapsible ski poles that spend most of their time on my pack. Besides, piolet-canne can be helpful on terrain where you may need to self-arrest.
Ben B. wrote:Do you do heavy packs? Long approaches? Speed ascents?
For any kind of speed, they're invaluable- last trip up Hood's south side, I was car to summit in 3:45 over soft snow with a 40lbs winter pack... step-kicking and shoving with the poles, just like on an elliptical machine. Powder baskets give great purchase in soft snow. I use them on descent too- basically skiing on my feet, using the poles to propel me down slope. Can turn a 3 hour descent into a 1 hour descent pretty easy...