Comments on: Mount Sopris Powder Farming

By: Lou

Lou — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 12:43:24 +0000

No need to carry crampons all the time, at least for the skiing we usually do.

By: MJ Hall

MJ Hall — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:48:27 +0000

Lou, your explanation on the whippet and the ice ax is helpful. Do you carry your crampons with you all the time?

By: Lou

Lou — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Hi Colin, to ask questions first just type it or something similar in the search box and see what posts come up, then just leave the question on the most appropriate post. With more than 1,300 blog posts you’re bound to find one that fits your question. And our amazing group of commenters may give you all sorts of excellent info! If comments are disabled for the post you find, fire me an email and I’ll turn them back on. If it’s something way off any topic, let me know and I’ll start that “Random Questions” post I’ve been meaning to do forever. Also, if I ever get more than 10 people wanting us to install some web forums, I’d be game to give that a go at this point now that we’ve upgraded our server yet again.

By: Seth

Seth — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:41:18 +0000

Colin,

Thanks for the links, I’m looking forward to checking that area out. Just ordered up some crampons from B&D, psyched to put them into action.

Lou- on a different note- Is there an obvious way to post a question to you and those viewing your blog without taking a thread off topic?

By: Lou

Lou — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 13:41:24 +0000

Pete, I use Whippets quite a bit as do many folks I know (thanks Andrew, who designed them). They’re problematic however, as they are much less effective than an ice axe in a real self arrest situation, and may give you a false sense of security on the up. What’s more, they’re not appropriate if you fall much while skiing as they (obviously) can cause injury in a tumble. On the upside, they’re a terrific climbing aid and do offer a measure of security on steep slopes. They also double as a useful tool for a variety of purposes, all the way from latching Dynafit bindings to an easy way to attach your ski poles to the snow while taking photos.

An ice axe is MUCH more effective for self arrest, but neither axe nor Whippets work once you’re really falling down something steep. On steeper slopes they only work if the arrest is performed in the same instant as you begin falling — a problematic conjecture in skiing, since you’re already moving, somtimes at a good clip.

Learning how to use an ice axe for self arrest requires practice, and if you really want to get the most out of it, such practice should be coached and done on more than one day. For example, knowing the theory of what you do in a headfirst fall on your back down steep snow is one thing, but reacting instinctively in the correct fashion is quite another. It’s not a bad idea to practice with Whippets as well, though their use in a fall is much more instinctive than how an ice axe is used.

So, what to use and when? One approach I use is to carry Whippets, but also a super lightweight ice axe. I then try to mix and match which tools I’m using for a given section of a climb. Other times I’ll leave the Whippets at home and just bring the axe (sometimes a beefier one), especially if the skiing is not that radical but the climbing involves some exposure. Still other times I’ll leave the axe at home and bring the Whippets, especially if the climbing isn’t that radical. For summer hiking, I’d venture to say you’d definitely want an axe instead of Whippets, as summer snow is frequently dense and hard, and arresting on anything steep by using a Whippet would not be nearly as effective as an axe.

But it all comes down to judgment (as they mention in Freedom of the Hills). You have to know your tools and your goals, then adjust accordingly both when packing for a trip and while on the climb, or trail.

As for a hiking axe, if you’re light packing a good approach is to leave the trekking poles at home and just use an axe with an adjustable length shaft, which doubles as a walking stick. See this example.