Learning how to use an ice axe to self arrest is a key skill that may save your life in the mountains. Don’t neglect to learn and practise it. Anyhow, I recently came across an old Army field manual on mountaineering that shows how the American military teaches ice axe self arrest. I thought I’d [...]
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Ice Axe Self-Arrest: How to save your life
The most important reason for carrying an ice axe up in the mountains is to be able to “self-arrest” or stop yourself from sliding down and off the mountain if you fall. It is not, as some people think, a glorified walking stick with a pointy end for showing off in the parking lot. To [...]
Ice Climbing Tools for Beginners
When buying a run of the mill ice axe for walking or alpine mountaineering it is hard to go too wrong. Most axes will more or less do the job. But when it comes to technical climbing tools you are entering an area of huge specialisation and personal preference. The key issue for many climbers [...]
Buying a Mountaineering Ice Axe
When taking up any sort of winter mountaineering, ski touring, or hill walking that requires you to cross glaciers or steep ice one of your most essential safety instruments is a good ice axe that is suitable for mountaineering. Ice axes provide a very useful third point of contact (in addition to your two feet) [...]
Choosing a Walking Ice Axe
For many people who are new to mountaineering, a versatile walking ice axe will be their first ice axe purchase. Choosing one can be a bit daunting for the uninitiated yet it is actually quite a simple task, especially if you are new to the sport. What is a walking ice axe? A walking ice [...]
