A ice axe

[Mr Sam]

I've recently come in to possession of a second hand ice axe.


Its a hefty 75cm and probably 500g in weight. The axe head is unscratched and the shaft and handle seem undamaged and the spiky end* has seen some use.

What is it used for and how would I use it?

*technical term

[tonyk]

 

What is it used for and how would I use it?

 Its similar to the one I used to have.I purchased it before I crossed the Alps and found it to be very useful when crossing hard areas of compact snow and also to cut steps on steep ice slopes. I have hardly ever used it in this country as walking poles are usually quite adequate.If the spike shows a lot of wear its probably been used for walking rather than climbing. The pick is used for climbing steep ice when wearing front point crampons but these days the axes for this purpose tend to be shorter.The opposite side is used for cutting steps.The spike and handle is often driven into the snow and the top of the handle is then used a belay anchor.The majority of walkers will never use an axe in this way,its mainly used on Scottish winter climbs and alpinism.

[Mr Sam]

I'm dieing to use it now. I reckon it would be awesome to pose with for a picture, even if I do never use it.

[Deerplay]

It is as you identified a walking axe. Tony K is pretty accurate with his summary of its uses. The only comment I have to make is that walking poles are OK but if you are are in the Alps trying to self arrest on a 1,000 foot slide toward the valley floor after you've fallen traversing a couloir. Which one do you think will do the job? The poles or the axe? If you are going to do steep walking in snow, get an axe and learn how to use it. The short handled axes are used mainly for more technical, and vertical patches of ice. Having said all that, mixed route mountaineering is great fun if hard. If you get the chance in this country, enjoy it, if not go for a summer in the Alps, with a guide/instruction of course.

Technical data. Spiky end = Pick. Other end = Adze. Handle = Shaft. Loop that goes round your wrist = Leash

[mike knipe]

Apart from last winter, it doesnt seem to snow much nowadays - but it doesnt mean to say that it won't.
I witnessed a bloke having an epic slide at Kinder Downfall once - and, after hitting a boulder, the chap's teeth were spread all over the place. Apart from the lack of gnashers, he seemed to be reasonably Ok and was walked off by his shaken pals.
I was also unfortunate enough to be involved in the recovery of a body off Ingleborough - and this chap had slid on steep snow and had collided head-first with a boulder - and I suspect that both would have stood more chance of stopping their slides early if they'd had an ice axe at least.
I tend to carry one if there's steep ground and snow wherever it is. The only problem is, I havent been getting much practise recently.

[darksky]

Mr sam would you by anychance be wanting to sell it?

[Mr Sam]

No sorry lad. It was a present from my dad he saw it in a charity shop and  bought it for me. It would be mad manners to sell it.

[tonyk]

 Deerplay wrote

The only comment I have to make is that walking poles are OK but if you are are in the Alps trying to self arrest on a 1,000 foot slide toward the valley floor after you've fallen traversing a couloir. Which one do you think will do the job? The poles or the axe?

 Definately the axe,I doubt if it would be possible to arrest such a slide with walking poles.I came to the conclusion that walking poles were reasonably adequate after observing film of fifties climbers,including Herman Buhl,using poles on high snow fields in the Himalayas.Perhpas the best combination in snow conditions would be a walkers axe and a pole?

[snowslider]

Perhpas the best combination in snow conditions would be a walkers axe and a pole?

a hybrid option would be something like this :

http://www.bdel.com/gear/fl_whippet.php

what people use varies on terrain slightly and how much they genuinely need the kit. There's a UK tendency to underuse poles and overuse ice axes, i.e. one or no poles and an overlong ice axe. The long axe is used as a substitute for pole and ends up being useless as it's still too short and a single one is no use anyway.

[darksky]

Take alook at that petzl.,snowscopic,  personally i think its a great idea and a new one to me, i found it about 6 months ago and no one else had heard of it i dont think., check it out.