Ice axe route in the NE

[lumberzac]

With all this talk about ice axes as of late, I’m sure I’m not the only one confused as to whether or not I should get one at this time. I think it would be helpful to compile a list for the Northeast of routes where the use of an ice axe would be requires or at least suggested. This list would be quite helpful for people that don’t have or are still not completely confident with their skills to see which routes they might want to avoid. I realize that conditions change over the course of the season and year to year, but I’m sure that there are some routes that tend to require their use over others.

For example, when I climbed the Scenic Trail up Sawteeth two winters ago, there were some pitches that I would have been much easier with the aid of an ice axe. The trail to the summit of Sawteeth from the col between it and Pyramid I don’t think an ice axe would ever be needed.

 

[Jim lombard]

Lions Head on Washington is a pretty common one, both my trips up there were made easier with an ice-axe.

North Tripyramid slide (only been up in summer) would be one that comes to mind. Can easily bypass this in winter anyway.

Most trails I can use my poles to self arrest so I usually don't even bring it.

 

[percious]

Cable route up Gothics calls Highly for an axe. I almost saw someone fall to their demise there once, aided by only snowshoes and poles. (idiot)

Marcy can call for it depending on the route, and how much ice is up there. Last December I was glad to have mine, as well as knowledge of self arrest.

-percious

 

[weatherman]

Tough one.

Well, I think if I'm ever hiking where bulletproof ice is found on a slope of much steepness, it would mean a lot of places... but there are of course many times/places where does not happen. And many times/places where one is just not sure till they are way up high. It also has to do with how sure-footed you are (not me), and your tolerance for risk (mine is pretty low). I use the mantra, better to have and not need than not have and wish you did.

In general, I carry one anyplace I'll be above treeline with fall/slide potential, or anyplace other people with more experience tell me to bring one. This can be tough to tell... for instance, I carried one up Franconia Ridge and realized there probably was a 0% chance I'd ever need it as the slopes are not very steep... but if it had been bulletproof, then it might have been real nice to have, at least as a security blanket. Never had to self-arrest, but I've used it for a third leg on a few occasions, and self-belay on 1 or 2.
Hope this helps.

Weatherman

 

[blueZ]

Lions Head on Washington is a pretty common one, both my trips up there were made easier with an ice-axe.

agree with Jim.

I slided on this snow field in Lionhead trail, just half a month ago.

I had my crampon on. I carried an ice axe. but it was attatched on my backpack. i wish I had hold it on my hand at that moment. The happy thing is I mananged to stop myself after 25 feet of slide. It was scary.

I used ice axe self arrest once in the last winter's mt. washington hiking. it was the snow slope above Tuckerman ravine. I was lucky I had ice axe in my hand, and I was prepared.

To my understanding, 99.9% of time, you don't need your axe. but once you need it, you will appreciate you have it ON YOUR HAND.

Be safe.

 

[DougPaul]

for instance, I carried one up Franconia Ridge and realized there probably was a 0% chance I'd ever need it as the slopes are not very steep... but if it had been bulletproof,

There is a section of Greenleaf Tr just below Lafayette summit where a slab can form. There was an accident up there some years ago where a hiker didn't have/lost his axe and had to arrest with his crampons--broke both ankles. (Had to walk out on them...)

As it is pretty hard to judge conditions from the parking lot, I bring an axe if I think it might be needed.

Doug

 

[giggy]

Great topic!!

something that hasn't been mentioned yet- Nothing wrong for newbies with using an axe to GET FAMILIAR WITH on less steep ground /trails - with less chance for fall.

Again - most of these could probably "BE DONE" with poles - but hell - Everest could be done with poles. Most of the standard routes up the NH mountains can probably be done with poles. But I need to look macho and cool so I take my axe - hahahaha (sorry had to say that)

I have seen people do lions head winter with no axe - but is is a good idea to use one IMHO. some sections are a bit steep. and the snow from treeline to that shelter rock - can be steep sometimes - sometimes well beaten path.

When above treeline - I like to explore a bit (in winter with snow for all you save the plants purists!!!) - so i do tend to hike up some of the snowfeilds on washington and go up different paths on mts in general. If you are one of those people that only goes cairn to cairn - then thats your deal - but please don't blast me for not doing so.

- some snow forms on the hunt ravine/nelson crag route - some of those snowfeilds can get steep and a fall would send you pretty far and maybe even down hunts if real icy. well maybe thats stretch but...

east snowfeilds on washington cone and any of the gully/ravine on pressies trails which some I have done and some I haven't - but most would probably require an axe and some require protection.

adams - section on lowes path after adams 4 and t junction - good snow can form here - and the peak to climbers right - no map right now (sam adams or q adams??) that can be not only kind of steep - but many time unborken becuase not many folks go up it. Snowfeilds on MT jefferson above edmunds col.

2 weeks ago the upper tucker man ravine has a somehat steep snow ramp from top of ravine to summit. usually this is a pretty moderate grade over exposed snow and rock - it seemed steeper with this early snow and I was glad to have an axe - though 2 others had poles and did fine.

upper Ammo trail

Flume slide in winter

as doug said - couple of parts on laffetette cone its nice to have

sometimes nice to have on falling waters trail

caps ridge trail

boot spur link

six husbands I suspect - tho never did it in winter

if above treeline - sometimes you just don't know how much snow has accumlated or how steep the wind has blown sections or blown off into the ravine.

I have seen madison get real icy at times.

I bet starr lake trail up adams in winter would be icy and steep - but can't comment cuz have't done that route in winter.

never done owls head - but that might be a good one as well.

as you can tell - I dig the alpine environment of the pressies - so most of my time is spent there and the franconia area - only so many winter weekends in a year!!

 

[dolladoj]

There is a section of Greenleaf Tr just below Lafayette summit where a slab can form. There was an accident up there some years ago where a hiker didn't have/lost his axe and had to arrest with his crampons--broke both ankles. (Had to walk out on them...)

As it is pretty hard to judge conditions from the parking lot, I bring an axe if I think it might be needed.

Doug

I agree with that spot 100%, I was up there on the northside of Lafayette in windy & whiteout conditions about 4 years ago and took that same slip. Didn't have an axe at the time, and fortunately was able to arrest with the crampons on my snowshoes (no ankle breakage due to the flotation acting as leverage I assume). Bought an axe immediately after that trip.

I'm one of the few who probably doesn't hike with poles, so I generally always bring my axe now in the winter. I used it last spring on the Boott Spur Cut-Off, for glAssading (aka sitting glissade). I've used it on E. Osceola. Even if there's little chance of a fall, I still will bring it to aid in going up the steeps, and of course to brake on the return.

 

[expat]

needed one, didn't have it

I have found that the times when I haven't brought and ice axe are the often the times I need it.

One year I hiked up from Thirteen Falls, using only poles and , I think on the Garfield Ridge trail, there was a big ice bulge, about 8 or 9 feet high. It took the two of us, working with each other and the poles, almost a half hour to get over it. Going around wasn't an easy option, either. An ice axe would have had us over it in a couple of minutes. Note that we didn't have crampons, either, just sherpa snowshoes.

 

[ChrisB]

And given some of the new, ultralite models, there is not much downside to carrying one!

BD Raven Pro - 13 0z

Grivel Air Tech Racing - 400 gr

cb

 

[weatherman]

I love my BD Raven Pro, easy to carry, though it might even be a little too light as bashing it into ice can take some force that the weight of the axe doesn't have. I thought I'd add some places in Maine, though many are only conjecture from remembering summer trips: Baldpates, Abraham, Sugarloaf (in some spots though not really on AT much), Bigelows, and of course many things in Baxter. Saddleback if it's icy near the top too. Mahoosuc Arm even needed an axe in June with no ice.

 

[TCD]

The vast majority of trails never require an axe. Some of the exceptions have been cited above. The general criteria are "steep" and "not many trees."

There's a lot more of that kind of terrain on trails in the Presis than anywhere else, just because there's more area close to or above treeline.

Of course, many off trail routes which are easy scrambles in the summer, like the Trap Dike, require axes in the Winter.

 

[blacknblue]

As already mentioned, it's good to bring along a mountaineering axe even for routes that don't require them. Any time there's the potential to slip and slide, it's nice to have that bad boy in your hand (with a leash) to self-arrest. If nothing else, it serves as a nice third leg. It's also a nice 'security blanket' when you bump into an unruly bear.
And, let's face it, chicks dig it.

 

[NYBRAD]

What does a leash have to do with self-arresting?
I strongly suggest that anyone using a leash on steep routes where a long slide is a potential, knows how to use it properly in all types of falls.

 

[blacknblue]

I didn't mean to suggest that the leash was for self-arresting. I guess my parenthetical note was a bit misplaced. Sorry about that.
I was recommending the leash for the general purpose of not having the axe slide out of your grasp, not for self-arresting, per se.

 

[hikerbrian]

Just to clarify a couple of things

I haven't kept up with all of the ice axe threads, so some of this may be a repeat, but I wanted to clarify a couple of things for the original poster, and others that may be confused. The main reason you will need an ice axe for hiking the standard routes in the Northeast is so that if you slip and fall you have some sharp object to jab into the snow and stop yourself from sliding too far. Thus, if the trail seems steep enough that you think a fall might result in a long, uncontrolled slide (or a short, fast one over a cliff or into trees or something), it's probably a good idea to have one. You will not be using your mountaineering axe to climb waterfall ice. You will seldom or never hold the axe by its shaft and use the pick in a hammering motion to pull yourself up a steep section. Rather you will hold the axe with the head in your hand, pick pointed back , and if you fall you can quickly get into self arrest position and stop yourself.

So...you can probably judge pretty well for yourself when you will need an ice axe. Just ask yourself, what will happen if I fall (trip on a crampon, etc.)? I've found that there are one are two places on Lion Head winter route where an ice axe was useful. I suspect that it would be good to have one going up Tuckerman ravine as well, but I haven't done that in winter. Actually, I would imagine that to be the classic route in the whites where a mountaineering axe would be useful.

Also, just a couple of quick things to add: You will probably switch which hand you're holding your axe in pretty often (you want it in your uphill hand), so I find a leash to be a real hassle, if it's not one that I can switch hands with easily. Second, if it is really bulletproof, or even very hard snow, it is amazingly difficult to self arrest, even with an ice axe. Hence the term, "no fall zone". Sorry if any of this was too remedial.

Brian

 

[Woody]

Some very useful points on ice axe use have been presented here. As stated previously I would recommend an ice axe above tree line and on any very steep trail. Most importantly - learn how to use it. If an experienced partner or professional lessons are not an option, read Freedom of the Hills for some good tips, then go out and practice on a safe hill - without crampons on.

 

[DougPaul]

You will seldom or never hold the axe by its shaft and use the pick in a hammering motion <snip>

Don't forget about step cutting... (One holds the axe by the shaft and uses the pick or adze to cut the step.) Often useful for getting over a short icy section without crampons or cutting a secure stance on ice or hard snow. In fact, step cutting used to be the primary means of ascending steep snow and ice routes (eg Pinnacle Gully in Huntington).

Rather you will hold the axe with the head in your hand, pick pointed back , and if you fall you can quickly get into self arrest position and stop yourself.

A number of experts (eg Yvon Chouinard) will disagree with this.

This is the cane axe position (piolet canne)--the most common axe position in snow climbing. (The spike is rammed down into the snow and the head is used as a balance point.) Some argue that it is easier to get the axe into self-arrest position when holding the pick, others argue that holding the adze gives better control.

If you want a comprehensive description on how to use an axe on lower-angle terrain, read "Climbing Ice" by Yvon Chouinard.

Doug

 

[DougPaul]

Ice axe leashes

A hiking leash is a double-edged sword. It is supposed to keep one from dropping and losing an axe. However, it gets in the way the rest of the time. (The glide-ring leashes are a bad design--I have discarded mine.) A short leash is also hazardous because if you fall, you are more likely to be hit by the axe as you fall. A leash made of elastic tape threaded inside tubular webbing can be the best of both worlds.

A leash should be attached to a waist belt (or a climing harness). (Attaching a leash to a shoulder loop is convienent, but hazardous--people have died by having the shoulder loop pulled against their throat.) This allows one to transfer the axe between hands without difficulty.

An ice climber will use a leash attached to his wrist and sized so that he can hold an axe just above the spike. (This is to take his weight on the leash instead of having to hold the axe tight enough to hold his weight.) However, said ice climber generally counts on a rope rather than an axe arrest to stop a fall.

Doug

 

[grasshopper]

1) use for self belay on steep slopes and slide climbing
2) use as a climbing ax on short little ice bulges ond ledges rather than grabing trees and scambling with hands
3) self arrest only two times and wouldn't have died without but still much better and good practice.
4) butt glissade a questionable practice but ice ax is essential to control slide,I don't do this much after 2 lower back injuries ( see other threads on dangers)
5) use around camp in winter

from the land of the midnight sun where the ice blue roses grow (GD)