When to bring an ice axe on a hike? On my last hiking trip in the Romanian Carpathians I found myself on a steep slope surrounded by snow and ice. I knew it was a pretty dangerous situation, looking back at the journey I asked myself “should I have brought an ice axe?”. In this article, I will discuss when you should bring an ice axe.
The quick answer is that it depends on the trail, the season and the conditions of the trail during that season. First, you should do in-depth research. Find out what other hikers did on that specific trail during that specific season. Additionally, you want to wait until the last moment before you decide whether you will bring an ice axe or not. For example, the conditions of the trail might drastically change after a snowstorm. The main rule is, if there are places where you can easily slip without being able to stop yourself, bring an ice axe. This means that you should try to find out if there are any steep, icy/snowy slopes on your trail.
Trail specific research
I already mentioned that doing trail specific research is the first thing you should do. The internet is filled with information. A forum can be a powerful resource because you can most likely get the opinion of many hikers who have hiked a specific trail.
However, keep in mind that these are just opinions. All these hikers want to share their opinion online, but their experience level might be different from yours or they might be extreme daredevils, you wouldn’t know for sure. Make sure you do proper research, do not read two opinions and assume you have everything figured out.
Except for opinions of random hikers you could also try to find information on an authority website. These website are respected by knowledgeable people in its industry and are considered very high quality. Some examples of authority websites would be http://www.appalachiantrail.org/ for the Appalachian Trail and https://www.pcta.org/ for the Pacific Crest Trail.
Examine the trail
Another thing I would recommend is to try to find some pictures or videos of the trail in the same month you will be going there. You will mainly try to spot these steep, snowy/icy slopes. These are the places where you might need to use the axe. Try to decide for yourself whether or not you are comfortable walking there without an ice axe.
Once again the same trail might look very different in the same month in a different year. This is why you should wait as long as possible before deciding whether or not you should bring an ice axe. Try to get as much information as you can on the latest conditions of the trail. Talk with locals if possible, otherwise consult the internet again.
Safety first
Hiking on steep icy terrain is not without risk. One might think that bringing an ice axe does always increase safety. However, if you bring an ice axe without knowing how to use it, it will bring more harm than good.
Arguably it is safer to cross steep icy slopes very slow and safe without an ice axe than with an unjustified feeling of confidence.
That being said, sliding is always a possibility. Many people will tell you a trail is certainly passable without crampons or on ice axe. They might be right, however, there is passable and there is “oh shit I’m falling, I wish I had an axe”.
There are strong arguments for and against an ice axe. However, if you learn how to use the ice axe properly, it will be safer to take it with you.
Learn how to use an ice axe
As already mentioned, bringing an ice axe without knowing how to use it will bring more harm than good. Therefore, I want to cover “learning how to use an ice axe” as well. Just to be clear, this article is not meant to be a guide. However, in order to understand when you need to bring an ice axe you must first understand how to use it.
The ice axe is mainly being used for self-belay, self-arrest and sometimes even to create steps in the ice. Remember I’m talking about using the ice axe as a hiker, not as a climber.
Creating steps in the ice should be pretty straightforward. However, I assume some people might not know what self-belaying and self-arresting is.
Self-belay
Self-belay is a technique where you will hold the ice axe by the head in your uphill hand. As you make your way through the snowy and icy terrain you will push the shaft of the ice axe several inches into the snow with every other footstep. If the ice axe is set firmly enough, it will aid in preventing a slip from becoming a fall. If a slip occurs, you should press down on the head of the ice axe with one hand. Additionally, grab the shaft as low as possible with your other hand. This will cause the shaft to sink deeper into the snow, creating an anchor.
When using the self-belay technique, you should always be ready to press down on the head of the axe whenever you slip. This should be a reflex. In order to create this reflex you should train on this technique. It is recommended to find a safe place where you can let yourself fall without real danger. You should practice on your reflexes and on your technique.
Self-arrest
If the self-belaying technique did not work and you start sliding down the hill, you will gain momentum quickly, especially if you carry a heavy bag. It is crucial that you know how to stop sliding after you start getting that momentum. This is where self-arrest comes in to play.
Self-arrest is a technique that is used once you are sliding down a snow or ice-covered slope and arrest the slide by yourself without the use of a rope.
Technically this technique can be performed without an ice axe. However, chances of succeeding are very low.
The most common and recommended self-arrest technique involves placing your body weight on the top of the ice axe to drive the head into the slope.
Once again, this technique requires practise. Be aware that even practising this technique on a relatively safe terrain is not without danger. Always be careful and focused.
Ice axe leashes
Whether or not you should use a leash for your ice axe is a debatable subject. Many people dislike an ice axe leash simply because their uphill hand changes all the time. This means they have to switch hands all the time, which might be inconvenient if there is a leash attached to it.
Some people claim that it comes down to convenience vs safety. However, I beg to differ. Having a leash attached to your ice axe has the obvious advantage that when you drop it, it won’t fall hundreds of meters. This might be a valid advantage, but to be honest, the number one rule should be to simply not drop your ice axe.
Let’s say you start sliding down a slope and you accidentally let go of your ice axe. Wouldn’t it be better to have a leash, so we can retrieve the axe during the slide and attempt to do a self-arrest? While I do get the reasoning behind that argument, I consider this a naive way of thinking.
If you are sliding down a slope and you do not have the ice axe steady in your hand, you want it to be as far away from your body as possible.
Imagine sliding down a slope and you let go of your axe while you are falling. You might think a leash would come in handy in this situation. However, in this case you would want the ice axe to be as far as possible from your body. The risk of hurting yourself while trying to retrieve your axe during a slide is very high. This means that, in this case, it would actually be less safe to have a leash attached to your ice axe.
If your technique is not good and you have a leash attached, the ice axe might also bounce back towards you. This could occur when you plant the head of the ice axe not deep enough in the snow.
This verdict is obviously personal, you can do your own research, but I would say it is better not to bring a leash because of all the above arguments. It would increase the risk of you getting impaled by your ice axe.
What Ice axe should I bring
Once again, we will be looking at the best ice axe for high altitude hiking, no ice climbing or anything like that. The one I would recommend to almost any hiker would be the Black diamonds raven ice axe. Note that there is a version of the same axe with a grip as well, but you will not benefit a lot from this since the grip will almost always be facing down (unless if you will use it to cut steps in the snow/ice).
The reason I chose this ice axe over the competition are the following
-
- It is durable product
-
- The spike is made of stainless steel
-
- The shaft is made of aircraft-grade aluminum
-
- Highly valued by a lot of other hikers
-
- Provides everything a hiker needs
-
- It is very cheap for an ice axe
- It is still a lightweight axe
This is probably the best value for money you could get. In fact, the only real benefit you will get from buying a more expensive ice axe is that it could perform a little bit better at self-arresting.
If you are not on a tight budget you could take a look at the Petzl Summit Evo. I would also advice this axe over the diamond raven ice axe to people who might bring their ice axe for technical mountaineering one day. The diamonds raven ice axe is very suited for high altitude hiking, but not for technical mountaineering. The Petzl Summit Evo, however, is suitable for both.
In case you are thinking about buying an ice axe make sure to buy the right size. It is very easy to forget that this is a big deal.
A quick overview of the correct ice axe size depending on your height:
- <5’8″ (<1.72m): 50-60cm
- 5’8″-6’0″ (1.72-1.8m): 60-70cm
- >6’0″ (>1.8m): 60-75cm
Conclusion
When to bring an ice axe on your hike? Well, it mainly depends on the trail, including the conditions this trail will be in when you are going to walk it. The best thing to do is doing a lot of trail/area specific research. Ask other hikers, check authority websites and examine the trail as good as possible by photos, videos and even descriptions. Try to find out whether or not the trail includes steep icy or snowy slopes
Keep in mind that bringing an ice axe without knowing how to use it makes no sense at all. It will probably even be safer to not bring an ice axe at all. Try to get as much practice as you can, you never know when it might save your life.
There is one last thing that obviously comes in to play, you personal opinion. You will have to walk that trail, you will have to feel comfortable. Whether or not you will bring an ice axe is your choice. Just be sure that you have all the information before you make that choice and that you are able to use it properly.
If you do decide to bring an ice axe on your next hiking trip it is good to know that you can buy a very decent one for less than 100 bucks. If you are a regular hiker (no mountaineering, ice climbing, etc.), the black raven diamond ice axe is the way to go.