How To Use Ice Axe

An ice axe is one of the most indispensable tools when yous are doing wintertime climbs or tall climbing. Before you lot go shopping for your ice axe, it is of import to commencement learn more than nearly its different uses. You lot will also need to know how to employ it properly. This can assistance you determine on the type of ice axe you lot need.

So what are ice axes used for? An ice axe is primarily used to:

1. Provide support and balance when walking over snowfall or ice. It will act as the equivalent of a hiking stick.
2. Chop or cut steps into hard snowfall or ice when going upwardly a gentle slope.
3. Act as an anchor point when you are scrambling or climbing upwards a steep gradient.
4. Perform self-arrest or self-rescue.
5. Create a T-Slot Anchor for belaying or rappelling.

Using an ice axe wrongly tin can be every bit dangerous as not using one. It has many sharp points that can crusade injuries if yous are non conscientious. Read on to learn more about how to use an ice axe properly in each of the situations mentioned in a higher place.

1. Anatomy Of An Ice Axe
2. What Is The Difference Between An Ice Axe And An Ice Tool
3. Utilise Example #i: To Walk Or Hike
4. Apply Instance #2: To Chop Or Cut Steps Into Hard Snow Or Ice
5. Utilize Example #iii: To Scramble Or Climb Up A Steep Slope
6. Use Instance #4: To Perform Self-Arrest Or Self-Rescue
7. Apply Case #five: To Build A T-slot Anchor For Belaying Or Rappelling

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This is Role five of 5 of the Snow & Water ice Climbing Mini-series :
Part ane : Compatibility Betwixt Crampons And Hiking Boots
Function 2 : Travelling With Your Crampons
Role 3: How To Employ Your Crampons
Part 4 : Knowing The Divergence Betwixt An Water ice Axe And Water ice Tool
Role v : How To Employ An Ice Axe

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Anatomy Of An Water ice Axe

Only first, you need to know the names of each part of the ice axe.

Head: This is the shorter part of the ice axe. On the caput, you volition find the adze on i end and the pick on the other.

Adze: This is the flat, wider end of the caput.

Option: This is the sharp end of the head.

Shaft: This is the longer section of the ice axe. On the shaft, you may have a grip which gives y'all more traction when you are holding the ice axe.

Spike: The fasten is the sharp point at the end of the shaft. This provides traction in the snowfall or ice when you use the ice axe for walking.

Leash: Some ice axes come up with a leash. For those that don't, at that place'southward ordinarily an opening along the shaft for y'all to attach your own ternion.

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An ice tool is a specialized form of ice axe that's used for vertical ice climbing. An ice tool is typically shorter and more curved equally compared to an ice axe.

Y'all can observe out more almost their differences here.

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Use Case #one: To Walk Or Hike

This is the nearly basic apply for an ice axe. When y'all are walking on snowfields or gently inclined terrains, information technology can help with your residue. You will use it just like how you lot would utilise a hiking stick.

Using An Water ice Axe To Walk Upslope

Here you can see how to use an water ice axe for walking:

Stride By Stride Guide

1. Concord the water ice axe in an upright position. The shaft should be vertical with the spike on the ground.
2. Wrap your fingers around the head. The shaft should exist between your index finger and center finger. Information technology tin can also be between your middle finger and ring finger. You lot should non be holding but on the adze end or pick end of the head.
3. If you lot are walking directly uphill, you can agree your ice axe in either mitt. Which hand you utilize will depend on your preferred position for doing cocky-arrest. I'll talk more about that later on in the department below.
4. Sometimes, if the slope is a flake steeper, information technology is easier to walk upwardly in a zigzag manner (this is what you saw in the video). In such cases, i side of your trunk volition be facing upslope while the other side will be facing downslope. You will need to hold your ice axe with the hand that'south facing upslope. Then every time you make a turn on the zigzag, you will demand to swap the ice axe to the other hand.

5. To start walking, plunge the spike of the ice axe into the snow in front end of y'all (just not straight in front of you. It will be on the side that you are holding the ice axe with).
6. When stepping into the snow, use your boots or crampons to create a stride. It should be preferably at least half your shoe size. You don't want to exist making tiny steps that you lot have to practically tip toe on. Brand sure that the steps cut into the slope at an incline so that it is more than stable.

7. Take a stride (or two) until the water ice axe is beside you.
8. When yous are creating the step with your anxiety, you will be relying on the ice axe for support and residuum. So make sure the spike of the ice axe is firmly placed in the snow or ice. You don't want your ice axe to sideslip when you lot are balancing on it.
9. Once you are stable on both your anxiety, yous can pull the water ice axe out and plunge it in forepart of you once again. Exercise not move your water ice axe in mid-pace. Practise not movement your ice axe if yous are unstable on your feet.
10. Ever keep your ice axe in front end of yous on the slope. Plunge your ice axe into the snow in front end of you. Walk until the ice axe is beside you. Do not walk beyond it. If you walk in front end of your water ice axe, you can hands lose balance when you are pulling out your ice axe from behind you.
11. If you are walking in a zigzag and making a plough, yous volition need to alter the hand that is property the ice axe.
12. When making a turn, make sure the ice axe is in front of you. Make a step that's wide enough for both your feet. This is the step for y'all to make the plough. When both your feet are balanced on the wide step, yous can change the hand that'southward holding the ice axe. Recollect that your ice axe should always be in your upslope manus.
13. Using the new hand, you tin can motion the ice axe frontward again. Go on stepping just every bit you did before.

If you need a epitomize, you can run across him making a turn and swapping the hand that's holding the water ice axe hither:

Insider tips:–
If yous are walking backside a guide or some other climber, use the same steps that they have created. This will save you time and energy especially if the snowfall or ice is quite difficult.
– Take turns being the lead so that one person is not doing all the work.

Using An Ice Axe To Walk Downslope

When walking downslope, the key divergence is to keep your ice axe behind you.

You tin can either walk directly downslope or go sideways in a zigzag manner. You tin can see that hither:

Step Past Step Guide

1. Plunge the spike of the ice axe into the snowfall abreast you.
2. When going down a slope, it is all the more important to get a firm footing earlier removing the ice axe. Use your heels to drive your weight into the snow. Keep your toes pointed up to add more weight and stability to your steps. The step should exist preferably at least half your shoe size. You don't want to exist making tiny steps that you lot have to practically tiptoe on.
3. Take a stride (or two) until the ice axe is behind you.
4. One time you are stable on both your feet, you can pull the water ice axe out and plunge it in beside y'all again. Do not move your water ice axe in mid-step. Do not motion your water ice axe if you are unstable on your feet.

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Employ Case #two: To Chop Or Cut Steps Into Hard Snow Or Ice

For utilize example #i above, the snow or ice has to be quite soft. You tin can utilise your boots or crampons to create steps as you go.

Sometimes, the water ice may be too hard. Or you may not be wearing crampons and you discover that boots cannot provide the grip that you need to movement upwardly the slope. You volition then demand to employ an ice axe to chop out steps into the ice.

When yous are using your water ice axe to cut steps, yous are no longer using it as a hiking stick. So you need to cutting steps that are wide and stable plenty for you to stand up on.

Y'all tin can see how to exercise that here:

Stride By Footstep Guide

1. Hold the ice axe past the shaft.
2. You lot shouldn't be bending over as well much to cut the stride. If you are, motility your hand more towards the fasten end of the shaft.
3. When chopping steps, yous should not be facing upslope. Turn your body sideways such that you dominant manus is on the upslope side.
4. You lot will be using the adze end of the head to chop the ice. Swing the water ice axe towards the ice, using the adze similar a mini scoop to scoop out the ice to the back. The swing should exist running parallel forth the side of your trunk. In this way, yous will not get striking by the ice axe when you lot are swinging.

5. The key thing is here is cut a stride into the snow without damaging the snowfall around it. If the snowfall or ice is loosened all around the step, you will only slide astern when yous step upwards.
6. You will demand to chop a few times to suspension up the hard surface. Once that's broken, you can utilise your boots to deepen or widen the footstep. The stride should be wide plenty for both your feet.
7. Pace up with the feet that'due south facing upslope. When that foot is firmly planted, step up with your downslope feet.
8. Ideally, every step that you chop is wide enough for both your step. If you lot would like to salve some time and energy, you can alternating betwixt steps. This means that ane stride volition be wide enough for both anxiety, while the side by side pace is wide plenty for one foot, and and then on. The narrower footstep volition always be for your upslope feet. When you are supporting yourself mainly on your upslope feet, you can chop the next stride. You must never chop a step when your weight is mainly on your downslope feet.

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Use Case #iii: To Scramble Or Climb Up A Steep Gradient

When the slopes become too steep for walking, you will need to climb up using your easily and feet.

For vertical ice climbing, y'all need to utilize a shorter ice tool. But if you are dealing with a slope that's at a 45 degree incline, you tin utilise an water ice axe to assist you climb.

Depending on the condition of the snowfall, yous will utilize different techniques.

Using An Ice Axe To Scramble Or Climb Harder And Firmer Snow

Here's how you tin exercise information technology:

Pace Past Step Guide

1. When you are on this steep incline, you lot will be on your fours. Y'all will exist moving the same way you lot will be when climbing a vertical wall.
2. One of your hands will exist property the ice axe. Y'all have to utilize the pick to dig into the snowfall to human action as an anchor point.
3. There are 2 means to hold the ice axe here
   • Method 1: Concur the ice axe past the head. When holding the caput, your thumb and the adze should exist facing you. The choice will exist facing away from y'all. The shaft should be somewhat parallel to your forearm. You tin run across information technology in the video higher up at 1:20.
   • Method two: Concord the ice axe by the shaft just below the head. The adze should be facing y'all and the selection will exist facing abroad from you. You can see information technology in the video above at 1:27.
4. Apply the water ice axe with your dominant hand. Since you but accept 1 ice axe, you volition not have much grip on the snow with your other mitt.
5. Plunge the pick end of the ice axe into the snow ahead of yous. The shaft should exist resting on the slope. Make sure it's secure and you have a house grip on the ice axe.
6. Move your anxiety one past i. Make sure you take a solid basis for each pes. You will not be able to use your ice axe to chop steps for your feet here. So make sure you take proper steps for both your anxiety before removing the ice axe to make the next movement. You don't want all your weight to be resting on just the ice axe.
7. Once your feet are stable, motion your ice axe again to a higher position.

You can practise the same affair in reverse for going downward steep slopes. Make sure your take the pick of the ice axe firmly plunged into the snowfall before stepping down.

This method of descending is slower and takes more free energy. Only utilise this method is y'all are not comfortable with descending any other way.

You can see that in activeness here:

Using An Ice Axe To Scramble Or Climb A Thick Layer Of Soft Snow

You tin see this in the video above at 1:50.

Stride By Step Guide

1. Concord the ice axe in an upright position.
2. Hold the ice axe at the head with both hands. You should accept i hand on the adze and one paw on the pick. The fasten should be facing downward.
3. Plunge the ice axe deep into the snow. The shaft should be going vertically into the snowfall.
4. Push the water ice axe in as deep into the snow as you tin can, until information technology hit fairly hard snow.
5. Once the ice axe is firmly anchored, motility your anxiety up one by one.
6. Make sure you have a stable footing. And then remove the ice axe and plunge it upslope.

As you can see, this method takes a lot of work. You are going to become worn out very rapidly.

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Utilise Instance #4: To Perform Self-Arrest Or Self-Rescue

A skid or fall here and in that location in unavoidable on water ice. This is specially so when you are going down a gradient.

It is important to stop your fall as chop-chop as possible. This will prevent you from gaining too much speed or getting spun into an bad-mannered position. The faster you are falling, the less likely you can become into a good position to perform a self-arrest. An ice axe is unlikely to stop a high-speed autumn and yous may fifty-fifty lose the grip on your ice axe or go injured from trying.

Performing A Cocky-Arrest When You Are On Your Front (Ideal Position)

Here you tin see how to make a cocky-abort and how to concur your water ice axe in anticipation of a slip or autumn:

Step By Pace Guide

1. In an ideal cocky-arrest position (if at that place is such a matter!), you will exist sliding down the slope with your legs get-go. Yous will too exist facing inwards towards the slope. This is what you saw in the video above.
2. When you are using your ice axe as a hiking stick, information technology doesn't really matter if the adze or pick is facing the front. As you lot tin can meet in the video, information technology depends on how smoothly you tin get your ice axe from the walking position to the self-arrest position. Y'all should endeavor out the various positions with both your easily and effigy out what works best for you.
3. Agree the head of the ice axe with i mitt. Your thumb and the adze will be facing you. The option will be facing away from y'all.
4. Your other hand will be holding the lower stop of the shaft, near the spike.

Insider tip: Information technology is important that you can perform a self-arrest with either of your hands holding the head of the ice axe. In an emergency state of affairs, you will not have fourth dimension to swap your ice axe between your hands.

1. Brand sure both hands are firmly gripping the ice axe before you exercise the self-arrest. If you lot are merely property onto the ice axe with 1 paw, y'all may lose your grip on it. The impact from stopping your fall will also be transferred to only that arm. In the worse instance scenario, you lot may even dislocate your shoulder, elbow or wrist.
2. To perform the self-abort, apply both of your easily to plunge the pick of the ice axe into the snowfall. Once it is plunged in, keep calculation force per unit area to the caput of the water ice axe. Looking downwards at the head of the ice axe also helps to add more weight. Do not try to remove the ice axe from the snowfall.
3. Keep the water ice axe shut to your chest area. The head of the ice axe should be around your collarbone.  This allows you to exert more strength into the pick to terminate your autumn.
4. You accept to stop your autumn with your water ice axe outset and not with your anxiety. Go along your feet lifted by raising them dorsum towards your butt. If your feet take hold of something that stops your fall before your ice axe, you may detect yourself flipping. And you lot stop up sliding downwardly the slope caput outset!
5. When your fall is slow plenty, you can employ your feet to bring yourself to a complete stop.

Unfortunately, many of your falls are probably not going to be in an ideal position to make a self-arrest. Yous cannot make a cocky-arrest if you lot are on your back or sliding down caput start. You need to rapidly get your legs downslope and your torso inwards facing the gradient.

If yous are rolling or tumbling downward the slope, terminate yourself by spreading your arms and legs out like a starfish.

Performing A Self-Arrest When You Are On Your Back

Here'due south what to do if y'all are sliding downslope on your back:

Step By Footstep Guide

1. Hold the ice axe the same way as you would during a normal self-abort – i hand on the caput with the pick facing out, the other hand on the spike end of the shaft.
2. The ice axe should be diagonal across your chest e.g. the caput at your correct collarbone, the spike end of the shaft at your left hip area.
3. Go along the water ice axe close to your breast area.
4. As you are sliding down the slope, plow your body towards the side where the caput of the water ice axe is. Turn until you are facing in towards the slope.
5. In one case you are back in the ideal cocky-abort position, you tin stop yourself fully as per the steps described higher up.

Performing A Self-Arrest When You Are On Your Front Merely Sliding Head Showtime

Here'due south what to do:

Step By Stride Guide

1. Hold the water ice axe the same style as you would during a normal self-abort – one hand on the caput, one hand on the spike terminate of the shaft.
2. The arm holding the head of the ice axe should be stretched directly out to your side at your shoulder level.
3. What y'all want to do hither is to drag the choice of the water ice axe along the surface of the ice or snow.
4. Keep your eyes focused on the caput of your ice axe. This will angle your torso slightly to one side and then that you tin start to turn the right fashion effectually.
5. As the selection drags along the snowfall, go on your weight on the head of the ice axe. Equally you hang on to the ice axe that'due south dragging in the ice, the momentum will acquit your legs downslope.
6. Continue to employ more and more than pressure to the pick of the water ice axe until your legs are downslope.
7. Once you lot are dorsum in the platonic cocky-arrest position, y'all can stop yourself fully as per the steps described higher up.

Performing A Self-Arrest When You Are On Your Back And Sliding Head Start

Here's what to practice:

Stride By Step Guide

1. Concur the water ice axe the aforementioned way equally you would during a normal self-abort – one hand on the head, one hand on the fasten end of the shaft.
2. What you want to practise here is the drag the option of the water ice axe into the snow at your hip level.
3. Y'all will need to use your core muscle here. Try to elevator your head and shoulders off the snow. Focus on the caput of the ice axe. This will angle your body slightly to 1 side so that you tin can starting time to turn the right style around.
4. Equally the pick drags along the snow, go on your weight on the head of the ice axe. Keep your arms in tension instead of straightening them out. As the water ice axe dull your speed down, the momentum will deport your legs downslope.
5. One time you are back in the ideal self-arrest position, y'all can stop yourself fully as per the steps described in a higher place.

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Use Example #5: To Build A T-slot Anchor For Belaying Or Rappelling

You tin can as well use an water ice axe as a T-slot anchor for belaying or rappelling.

Belaying is useful to support beginner climbers who are not very confident on a steep slope. Or you lot may find yourself in a terrain where the slopes are steep and brusque. In such cases, you lot may non take enough fourth dimension to stop yourself with a self-arrest before you autumn off an edge. A belay is a necessary safety precaution here.

You can also apply the anchor for rappelling. If y'all don't want to descend a department on foot, y'all can cull to rappel downwards. Some people like to rappel for fun, it is an entire sport past itself!

Here's how you can build a T-slot anchor with your ice axe:

Step By Step Guide

1. Discover a adept area for setting up your ballast. The harder the snow, the better. If there is a thick layer of soft snowfall, stomp on the surface until you reach the firmer snow beneath.
2. Commencement, trace out the alphabetic character T. The vertical part of the letter T should be pointing downslope. The horizontal role of the letter T is where you axe volition go. Make certain it is long enough.
3. Dig the T-shaped pigsty in the water ice.
4. When cutting out the T shape, avoid disturbing the ice or snow around information technology. This volition weaken the water ice and the support for your anchor.

5. Dig at least 30 cm (12 inches) deep. The softer the snow, the deeper you need to go.
6. Using a clove hitch, attach the belay material (usually a sling) to the shaft of the ice axe. The clove hitch should be somewhere in the middle of the shaft or slightly closer to the head.
7. Place the water ice axe into the horizontal part of the letter T. The choice should be facing down into the ice. The belay cloth or sling should exist placed in the vertical part of the letter T.
8. Press the ice axe firmly into the snow. Stomp on it if y'all have to. For even more than support, yous can backfill the horizontal role of the alphabetic character T with water ice. Stomp on the ice likewise. Apply water ice that is further upslope from where you accept dug the pigsty.
9. Tug on the sling in the direction of where the force will be. Make certain your water ice axe remains firmly in place and does not move.
10. You lot can so use the T-slot anchor to do a straight belay or attach yourself to it and do a torso belay. You can see both methods in the video to a higher place at four:00.
11. If you are belaying on a very steep slope, you lot should also dig a trench or a bucket seat that you can sit in. You can encounter how to do that hither.

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This is Office 5 of 5 of the Snow & Ice Climbing Mini-series :
Part 1 : Compatibility Between Crampons And Hiking Boots
Office 2 : Travelling With Your Crampons
Function 3: How To Use Your Crampons
Part four : Knowing The Divergence Between An Ice Axe And Ice Tool
Role five : How To Employ An Ice Axe

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This article is intended to provide full general information. No commodity or video can supercede qualified instruction, do and experience. Your condom is your responsibility.

How To Use Ice Axe,

Source: https://climbtallpeaks.com/how-to-use-ice-axe/

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