UKC

We've been running a series on key hill skills in association with Mountain Training. In this video feature George McEwan introduces the basic techniques of ice axe self arrest - they could literally be a life saver.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=7141

In reply to UKC Articles:

A great article but surely, this should have come out a few months ago?

In reply to goose299:

In theory that might have been nice, though 'should' seems a bit OTT. This season alone we've had quite a number of winter skills articles preceding this one. Remember too that it could still be winter on the hills for a good few weeks yet (here's hoping).

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Here's hoping indeed

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

I can't believe you are even hoping!! Thaw coming, big deal...it's only 5th March, plenty of winter left no matter how devastating this thaw is!

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:
Last year's thaw dashed my late season dreams and I got nothing harder than slushy grade I ridges done after Feb: so yes of course I'm hoping!

In reply to UKC Articles:

It's late for British islands, but still in time for many other destinations!

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:
Really? We did Tower Ridge in perfect winter conditions on a blue bird with only four people on the entire north face of the Ben day on 30th April!!

In reply to nickinscottishmountains:

Lucky you!

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

It was a good day. I take your point though, it is indeed tricky to align time off work/someone to climb with/conditions/day away from home/family etc.

In reply to UKC Articles:

Would be nice to see some comments on the use of modern aggresive tools for arresting a fall: how many of us practiced with these?

In reply to Offwidth:

Really curved tools don't do very well at classic self arrest. In fact I'd venture they don't work - at all.

In reply to UKC Articles:

The videos were expertly filmed and edited by Kirk Watson who has been involved in more than a few projects. His website is worth checking out:
http://www.perfectviewproductions.co.uk/www.perfectviewproductions.co.uk/Ho...

In reply to george mc:


Should it be described as an "Essential" winter skill if in all likelihood it's not going to work ? especially if neve and a bit steeper etc

In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice videos. However, it would be good to see this filmed on a slope that was hard icy snow rather than mush where digging your feet in would be as effective. Everything would be harder and faster and I suspect the range of slopes where a tumbling fall could be arrested reliably rather limited.

In reply to MG:


Totally correct taking a slide on a hard icy surface will see you reach Mach 10 really, really quickly and make stopping a slide more problematic. best bet is don't fall! Not sure on the educational benefit of me sliding to my doom though. Oh on a more practical note it hurts when demoing this on a hard surface. Plus it ruins your goretex! I did a lot of sliding this day whilst filming. Both my waterproofs and me would have been in tatters if I was doing this on a rock hard neve. The bottom line is excellent footwork is essential. TBH you don't want to end up doing this (self arrest) for real, as it may truly be do or die...

In reply to Jim Hamilton:

Carry

Carry 'proper' axes rather than these curvy things that are only good for going up but crap at stopping anything going down

Just to clarify we're talking about radically curved climbing tools e.g. Nomics, Forces, Fusions etc - not a walking/mountaineering axe with a slight bend to the shaft.

In reply to george mc:

What about the not quite so radical such as Quark, Viper, (Apex), which you probably see most people carrying up to the winter climbing venues ?

In reply to george mc:

I know that!!
Put a hole in my brand new jacket once demo'ing an arrest

In reply to Jim Hamilton:
Going up is usually easy. It's the coming down bit that the wheels come of the cart! I use Vipers myself and have practised braking with axe. it works BUT I wouldn't want to put it to a real test on very hard snow as it's pretty grabby when braking. I'm just real careful when descending steep ground and I'm using these tools that I don't slip and test it out for real. Mind we are pretty unique in the UK in teaching self arrest. Most other places they focus on not slipping/falling in the first place. In that regard I'd agree - if you had twenty hours to spend on teaching someone core winter skills I'd be focussing most of that time on teaching and practising good movement skills. However self arrest is a useful ace to have in your hand but people forget it takes a lot's of hours of practice on different angles of slope, hardness of snow etc etc before you can truly say you are skilled at it.

TBH rather than asking the question if these axes work at self arrest you need to try it out with whatever axes you personally use. I'm surprised people don't do this TBH. Then make your own call as to their effectiveness or otherwise.

Success at braking using 'non standard' mountaineering axes does hugely depend on how skilled you are at self arrest. Bottom line is regardless it's better not to slip in the first place.

In reply to george mc:

Lucky you!

In reply to george mc:


Having had an extremely embarrassing incident unsuccessfully attempting to arrest a (deliberate...!) slide on some fairly steep icy neve with a radically curved tool, I would echo that comment! I felt very lucky to get away with an hour's walk off, three hours in A&E getting a really quite extraordinary down-to-the-bone elbow laceration sorted out and by far the most impressive load of bruising I've ever seen on a human body - and I'm a doctor. And yes, I should know better! (The issue was a disagreement with the large boulder that did eventually - rather too successfully - arrest the fall.)

Tip for the future, if you ever find yourself in this unfortunate position: with your lower hand, cover the hook and spike at the bottom of the handle, i.e. don't grasp the handle itself. This might, with any luck, stop it impaling in the snow.

In reply to MG:

Rather you than me demonstrating arrest on a steep icey slope, surely the point is to instruct not terrify
My introduction to arrest involved a blinding hangover, a survival bag and being chucked down a steep slope by some "friends"; accelerating rapidly towards Argentiere is not the right time to ask how to hold an ice axe. Suffice to say I doubt I will ever forget it.

In reply to adamarchie:

Thanks for the real life account. I'll use you as an example for future teaching

Such experiences are true learning experiences, although better when someone else has it... Least you are in one piece. Trust your injuries have healed up leaving you with only a great bar story to tell?

In reply to george mc:

George, happy to be used as a cautionary tale! It happened descending from the Fiacaill a' Choire Chais from a bit below Point 1141, off to the right down into that bowl at the top of Coire Cas that's usually full of nice soft snow. A couple of ski patrol chaps came over in a skidoo but I embarrassedly waved them off. Though an hour later, was slightly regretting not milking it for a ride back to the car. But then there's no man points in that!

Injuries have now almost healed, 4 weeks on. Recovery probably not helped by doing Tower Ridge a couple of days after the incident! My left foot swelled to elephantine proportions due to thigh bruising tracking down.

In reply to adamarchie:


And I'd echo yours adamarchie as I went for a 300m ride down Aonach Dubh West Face last winter as a result of not being able to stop a slide with my curvy climbing axe. I not totally sure I could have stopped myself with my walking axe as I broke my face and jaw on the way down and my memory of the event is a bit hazy, but I think i would have stood a better chance as, like you, I think the spike caught and set me tumbling.
Not an experience I'd like to repeat, but one to share as a 'valuable learning opportunity' as one mate called it...

In reply to More-On:

Wow. That sounds utterly horrible. Glad you're alive. Were the doctors able to rearrange your face, as it were?

In reply to UKC Articles:

I once had a bizarre experience when practising self arrest on the lower slopes of Mam Tor.
Me and my mate tried various starting positions, throwing ourselves down the slope face up feet first, face down head first, on our backs feet first etc. etc..
On the final attempt which was something like on my back head first, I successfully rolled over and let my feet swing down and proceed to slow down but suddenly I must have hit a bump, and I stabbed myself in the throat with some part of the axe, not sure which. The pain was excruciating, and was accompanied by a really strong smell of sulphur, which in my panic I thought was something to do with puncturing my windpipe, or dying or something.

I gingerly stood up, and my mate confirmed no visible damage to the throat. But where was the strong sulphur smell coming from?
I felt in my duvet's inside chest pocket and retrieved a box of matches, which I opened to discover that every match had ignited and burnt. The friction when sliding on my chest had created sufficient heat to ignite them, even through a layer of down.

In reply to adamarchie:

Many thanks - me too
I cannot praise my surgeon enough. I'm scarred, but still definitely me - although the large amount of metal in my head does necessitate a hat on only moderately cold days!
I must also repeat my praise for Glencoe MRT and the helicopter crew who came to my aid on a truly rough night. Their professional approach in horrid conditions made a great difference to the outcome. Trying to climb out with a head injury, one working eye and shock was bad enough on a short rope and with many words of encouragement, on my own it would have been many more hours before I got medical assistance, if I ever made it that far...