Self Arrest Ice Axe

The freedom of the hills is all yours with the proper ice axe to stabilize your footing if you slip balance you on the descent and to stop your fall in the event you find yourself needing to self arrest.

Self arrest ice axe.

Personaly i wouldn t feel well without the leash. But it has to be wrapped around the head of the ice axe so it s really short. The self arrest involves planting your axe into the snow to stop a fall if you slip on a steep snow covered slope. In soft snow the adze.

But we always wrap wrist leash around the head of the ice axe. Watch my video demonstration of the self arrest technique and here s a step by. Even with good skills there is always a possibility of taking a slip or a trip and if you do then having the appropriate techniques to self arrest is paramount. Self arrest with ice axe.

Ice axe self arrest starting in a seated position. A classic hiking ice axe approx. Subscribe to our channel for the latest training videos climbing tutorials and more. The ice axe for many is a mountaineering symbol that evokes images of rugged glaciated peaks and above the cloud summits it s an essential safety tool for mountaineering adventures whether you use it to maintain balance or to self arrest and stop yourself from a fall.

Learning how to properly self arrest is a life saving skill that will take lots of practice to master but learning the basics is easy. But relax this list will get you to where you want to be and get you there safely with the best choices in ice axes for you mountain travels. Self arrest can be performed by using ice axe and a combination of a climber s boots hands feet knees and elbows. 70 cm long with a head and adze is sufficient for self arrest.

Ice axe self arrest from walking. Use of an ice axe greatly increases the probability of. In slovenia we always teach self arrest with wrist leash. A short ice axe can also be used well for self arrest which actually holds better and can be better handled when braking a fall.

In this video we review the self arrest technique a way of stopping a. In firn snow the head of the ice axe should be used for self arrest. An ice axe has many uses but it is primarily a safety tool for helping you stop an unexpected fall down a slope which is called making a self arrest. To be able to self arrest effectively it s important to practise.

I don t see any good reason for not using a leash.