After the ice ace arrest

[AK Granola]

I’ve never used an ice axe, and I tend to avoid situations where I might need one. However, I am curious after watching videos of how to use them, what do you do after you have successfully arrested your slide? The videos never show what to do next. You’re on a steep snowy or icy slope, lying down on top of your ice axe, and the trail is now many feet above you, and the “safe” zone many feet to the side of you.

I have been in several situations where I should have had an ice axe, but got through unscathed.

[Jerry Adams]

You then continue on your way with crampons and ice axe.

I’ve used them in practice.  You take a flying leap, start sliding down the hill, then stop with self arrest.

You should practice that

[Murali C]

I would think, you will have to kick up some snow or dig into the snow with your feet to get some grip, make sure you are not moving or sliding down, then slowly remove the ice axe and try to insert the ice axe higher above your head into the snow and try to pull yourself up and repeat the procedure till you get to the trail. It will be slow going if you are by yourself without anybody else nearby. It will help if you had crampons or some microspikes which will help a great deal.

[Paul S]

Jerry (Practice!) and Murali’s have it right… In general you want to, if possible, kick a platform or least steps to stand, but as a rule you take a deep breath 1st, collect yourself. After creating a stable place to stand you want to assess the safest path to lower angled snow or “Trail.”

It is best not to self arrest. Better to use your axe to self belay and not fall in the 1st place!

If you get going on harder snow then it may be impossible to self arrest. There are lots of examples where experienced people glissaded and have not been unable to slow themselves down. RJ Secor (author of the Sierra “bible” guidebook) is just one.

[David Thomas]

When I’ve self-arrested, I kicked in very solid steps before ever removing my axe from the slope.  More so, I let my pulse get below 200 and my breathing to calm.

Then I proceed on my way, but more slowly, more deliberatively, kicking or cutting bigger steps, waiting a bit longer for each boot step to freeze a bit more to the snowpack, and taking smaller steps.  If there’s some step like putting on campons you haven’t done, now’s the time.

[David Thomas]

But if you got onto much more vertical ice/snow, you may be waiting for others to rescue you.  I’ve never been in that situation and only imagined it while roped up for glacier travel.  Then the unlucky member of the party is hanging by the rope as others create anchors and a haul system to get you out of the crevice.

[Sarah Kirkconnell]

I once crawled on all 4, to the side, trying to cut in toe holds. I eventually made it the rocks. I spent a long time getting my breathing and heart rate under control. Then I crawled the rocks, very very very carefully till I regained where I should have been.

And I learned a very hard lesson that day.

[Author]

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