Thread: Ice axe and Crampons

These are good comments Tentman. I have always been taught that you should have an ice axe before crampons. This is mainly because of what JoshC has said. When you are in an alpine enviroment you want to take as little risks as possible. An ice axe can get you out of a lot of situations but unless you are skilled in using crampons they tend to put you in bad situations. A small patch of ice on a ridge can lead to a steep patch of ice and before you know it you are unsure whether to go back or forward. If you slip on a hard patch of snow its not too hard to self arrest with the right technique but slipping on solid ice can lead to trouble. Sometimes your ice axe wont even dig in All you can do then is pray for a good run out