What should I know about travel over hard snow and ice?

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Learning to climb steep hard snow slopes:

What should I know about travel over hard snow and ice

Hikers, backpackers and climbers that reach higher elevations will eventually find themselves on snow and ice fields. Often, travel and climbing are best done when hard snow covers difficult terrain: brush, loose scree and talus, cliffs and the like. Snow climbing is not just for the winter, but it may ease the way year-round for the trained climber. Travel on snow can help maintain a steady aerobic pace within the capabilities of everyone in the group. Glissading, or sliding down a moderate slope while under control, is a wonderful way to loose major elevation in minutes.

A BASIC PREMISE:
Snow is an ever-changing medium. Snow slopes, safe in the morning, may become extremely dangerous in the afternoon. Hard snow may turn soft resulting in foot steps giving way over brush or logs causing dangerous post-holing and broken legs. Warming conditions may make progress very arduous, requiring a change in plans. Unexpected snow storms or white-out conditions may occur making progress impossible. Warming conditions may trigger rock-fall or avalanches. Slick hard ice can form quickly making any progress dangerous and arrest all but impossible.

Travel across a steep hard snow slope with a thousand feet of slope exposure, is like walking along the very edge of a cliff, with a thousand feet straight down. A climber falling down a snow slope is slowed only by the nominal friction of clothing and equipment, little different from falling straight off a cliff of like elevation. Hit a bump or catch a crampon and the hapless climber is tumbling or cart wheeling toward rocks, trees or flat terrain below. Broken bones and dislocations and death are likely. The climber must respect the hidden danger of easily climbed snow slopes.

THE MOUNTAINEERING ICE AXE:
Snow travel on slopes requires practiced use of an appropriate ice axe. The mountaineering ice axe is used primarily for balance and to stop a fall before it happens; but also for self-belay if a slip occurs and self-arrest if a fall should occur. Sometimes the axe is used for step-cutting or as a snow-anchor; it should be strong and balanced but not too heavy. The mountaineering axe should be long enough to be used as a cane (piolet canne) in the uphill hand ascending or descending a slope, normally by traversing. A good way to chose the length of an axe: your fingers should just touch the head with the spike on level ground. The axe must be controlled; make a shoulder leash or use a hand leash purchased with your axe. Purchase a rubber head guard; learn to uncover the pick but keep the adze protected by the rubber guard from being blunted by your face or eyes. The adze must be thickly taped before any ice axe practice.

LINES OF DEFENSE IN CLIMBING SNOW:
Before you climb forgiving snow or harder snow, you must learn to self belay and also self arrest. The first line of defense in climbing snow is DON’T FALL. The second is SELF-BELAY. If these fail, you must SELF-ARREST, SELF-ARREST, SELF-ARREST and keep trying to arrest until you stop, one way or the other.

“APPROPRIATE SLOPES” FOR LEARNING SELF ARREST TECHNIQUES:
Choose “appropriate slopes” as required for instruction and practice: for snow travel, for snow anchors, for belay activities, for ice axe arrest practice and for safe rest, food and split breaks. The term “appropriate slopes” refers to slopes which in the judgment of the responsible instructor are suitable for the level of experience of the participants under the snow conditions of the moment. ALL SLOPES MUST HAVE TESTED SAFE RUN-OUTS.
Copyright© 1999-2007 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.

The traditional alpine mountaineering ice axe

The length of the traditional mountaineering ice axe is about equal to the number of centimeters from the climbers fingertips to the floor when he or she is standing on a level surface. I am 6'2' tall with long legs and my axe is 80cm.

A mountaineering ice axe made by Black Diamond

Some one will advise, "You should have a modern shorter axe!"
Here is what Lene Gammelgaard said on page 171 of her 1999 book "Climbing High". about her Into Thin Air - Everest experience: "Lousy axe for climbing. What was Scott thinking of when he recommended it - has he forgotten what it's like up here? I would have felt much better with a long handled classical axe. Well next time I have to trust my own experience more."

Often, the advisor is picturing a very steep snow or ice wall for "sport climbing" when showing a short handled tool. Some self-appointed advisors have never had Self Belay or Self Arrest training on the steep snow slopes. On steep water ice, technical ice climbers opt for two technical short expensive hand tools. These technical tools are nearly useless for mountaineering functions like balanced walking, probing, belaying, or self-arresting.

Snow travel, steep snow climbing and glacier travel all require use of the long traditional mountaineering ice axe as a point of connection to the snow.
Walking on easy snow, the axe is used in the cane position in the up hill hand, using the belay grip, palm over the adze, pick forward. Modern ice axes are usually stamped from steel and have sharp edges that can bruise hands and fingers even through thick gloves. The palm of the hand on the adze enables the climber to push the axe more easily into the snow. However, in order to arrest with the axe (its secondary safety function) the grip must be changed to the arrest hand position. This requires time and two hands to accomplish.

When the going gets more dicey in the perception of the individual climber, the axe is normally changed to the arrest grip, with the thumb under the adze and the palm over the center point of the axe head. A perceptive leader will note when this change-over occurs among his team members.

The first imperative is Don’t Fall. The second is to Self Belay a slip. The third is to Self Arrest a slide or fall. All of these imperatives are assisted by a (long) traditional mountaineering ice axe.

Ice axe Self Belay! Ice axe Self Arrest
Traditional Ice Axe "Self Belay" and Ice Axe "Self Arrest"
illustration from Mountaineering, the Freedom of the Hills

Buy a traditional mountaineering ice axe made by a major manufacturer. Don’t worry too much about the positive or negative angle of the point of the pick. A super light axe with a short pick is fine for spring and summer strolls in the high country. Buy a strong axe for steeper snow and glaciers. You will need the stronger shaft for snow anchors, boot axe and carabiner belays, etc. A slightly heavier axe will actually aid in balance on a slick slope with a thousand feet of exposure.

Make sure the shaft of the ice axe is smooth, without fancy rubber hand grips and so on. These non-traditional embellishments just impede your ability to thrust the smooth shaft deep into the snow. Use a rubber cover for the adze and pick, pulling it back from the pick only while climbing. Keep the adze covered to prevent a nasty cut on the cheek or eye while violently arresting. The spike cover should be left in the car as it will soon get lost in the snow.

Always wear strong gloves while using your ice axe. Practice arrests without gloves some time and you will quickly find out why.

Make a tether. Use a long piece of half inch wide accessory tape to tie an ample shoulder loop to go under one arm and to tie under the head of the axe to the "carabiner" hole. Make sure the tether is long enough to use the axe in the banister position but not so long as to catch on your knee as you climb a steep snow slope. This tether will enable you to drag the axe behind you a short distance while scrambling over rocky terrain or carry it tucked behind your pack shoulder strap and most of all, to change hands as you traverse up a slope.

Read our seminar notes about steep snow climbing, glacier travel, and the imperatives Don’t Fall, Self Belay and Self Arrest elsewhere in www.TraditionalMountaineering.org!
Copyright© 1999-2007 by Robert Speik. All Rights Reserved.