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. There are many good resources to learn from including the British Mountaineering Club. Read this post. Look at the techniques discussed. Check out the other resources […]
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 […]
The Most Famous Ice Axe Belay Ever
Anyone who has been around mountaineering for any period of time will have come across the name of Peter Schoening, a real legend of American mountaineering. He spent a life on high mountains and was famously on Everest in 1996, an ill-fated year in which scores of mountaineers died on the mountain. But he is […]
UK Hill-walker Saved by His Ice Axe
A recent story in the UK newspapers highlights the importance of carrying and using an ice axe on tricky terrain that is covered in snow or ice, especially if it is steep. The report in Britain’s Telegraph newspaper notes that a 50-year-old walker was out in the hills in January (remember this was one of […]