An Ice Axe is an excellent tool to keep in your mountaineering or backcountry ski tour bag. It can be used to arrest yourself if you fall on an icy slope or prod around while climbing up iced or snowy uphills.
How to Make use of an Ice Axe
An ice axe is employed for a variety of purposes, but is most commonly employed for backcountry skiing and mountaineering. It can be used for a variety of things, such as self-arresting when there is a fall on a icy slope, prodding holes in the snow when hiking on snowy or over iced up slopes, and even cutting steps into ice or snow when you’re on an ice edge.
Axes are made of various materials, including aluminium as well as carbon-fibre. They are available in a variety of lengths. It is essential to select an axe that is suitable for your weight and expertise.
The Head of the Axe
The head of an Buying Your First Ice Axe is made up of three main parts comprising the pick, adze , and a carabiner hole. The pick is the sharp end used to hook and swing into ice or snow while the adze is a broad hoe-like feature that predominately cuts steps into ice or snow. The carabiner hole is used to secure the carabiner or leash to the axe.
You must use the pick correctly to get a solid grip and cut through the snow or the ice efficiently. To make use of the pick, push it into the ice or snow until you can feel the bottom edge of the pick against your skin. This is known as “breaking the ice.”
Make use of the Ice Axe
When you are descending an icy slope down a steep terrain, it’s important to keep your ice-axe close to you. This will give you more traction and stability when you go down the slope.
You can also hold an ice axe in your hands if your don’t have one. You can hold it by its head (where the adze is), or by the shaft below it.
Getting the Ice Axe Out of Your Backpack
You need to have your ice axe in your backpack before you go mountaineering, or ski exploring on icy or snowy up slopes. It is possible that you won’t be able to find your ice axe if you wait until you are on the slope to grab it.
Incorporating an ice axe into your pack is a great idea, especially if you’re planning a trip that has an uncertain weather forecast. You can keep your ice axe dry in the waterproof bag that is included with your climbing gear if it rains.
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