Ice axe practice spot?

[sleeping bear]

So I bought this ice axe on eBay, I've read and re-read the sections on ice axe use in Freedom of the Hills, and carried the thing with me on my last couple of hikes, but it hasn't yet touched the snow other than wishful walking sticking. I'm trying to work my way up to some harder hikes and since I have the thing, I should know how to and have practiced using it.

I've been told that the AMC teaches ice axe use on Cardigan. There are a number of trails there, does anyone know which trails provide the best practice spots?

Aside from Cardigan, are there any other reccomendations for good spots?

 

[Pete_Hickey]

I've been told that the AMC teaches ice axe use on Cardigan. There are a number of trails there, does anyone know which trails provide the best practice spots?

WHy a trail? Is there anything LOCAL that you can practice on? If you want to practice self-arrest, you may even be able to do it at a local ski hill (early or late, when no skiers) If you want to practice climbing with it, you just need any small steep, rocky thing.

If you are on a 'real trail' you'll probably be spending most of your time getting to a place to practice.

 

[Jay H]

I think ski slopes are good.. Find your local black diamond run off season or so...

Anyway, in the catskills, when I hiked the Cathedral Glen trail on Belleayre, I was thinking that it would be the perfect place to practice self arrest on. it's very very steep, at least when I hiked it in the summer, it's a black diamond run and the hiking trail actually uses part of it. Don't even need to pay for admission to the park as you can hike in from High Mount at the trailhead. Heck, if you want to hike up to the summit in winter, you can have one free ski down the hill..

Jay

 

[vegematic]

I took a freebie ice axe and crampon course offered by some generous AMC leaders a couple years back and we practiced near the base of Willey's slide. The approach was not too bad and the angle was good for practicing.
-vegematic

 

[MadRiver]

The upper slabs on Dickey(Thornton) is a nice place to practice.

 

[Mark]

We practiced self arrest with an ice axe on Hillman's Highway above Tuckerman's.

 

[sli74]

I have practiced just left of the Hillman's Highway at Tuckerman's and at a couple of different ski area late in the season. Any place short and steep with a safe "landing" spot at the end will work.

sli74

 

[giggy]

all above are great suggestions -

funny you ask: a few of us were going to do a gully in hunts this weekend and had to bail due to ava condtions - so we did a practice session on some spots of the sherburne ski trail on washington - just go off to the side and mark your going to be there with a pole or something - to warn the skiers - some skiers might give you lip - but you have a right to be there. We asked the rangers and some of the local climbing schools do this (or used to anyway)


if I may suggest starting out in your backyard - really mastering the "end position" of the self arrest - get really comfy on how your supposed to end up.

like in this pic
http://www.ime-usa.com/media/ice_fest/gallery/images/self arrest skills.jpg


have fun - your about to enter a world of immense winter fun!!

 

[hikingfish]

Huntington on Mt Washington

In the course I took last year, we went in Huntington to practice self-arrest.

We had sooo much fun too!

Fish

 

[REK]

This is the ice equivalent of bouldering. Go to your local mall or shopping center and look for the huge piles of plowed snow around the edge of the parking lots. They get all hard and squirrely with time. I practice on these things all the time. They are private property so someone might ask you to leave but maybe not.
Also you can go where your town dumps all of the snow removal. I used to work on Peirce Island in Portsmouth and would borrow the dozer and loader and make my own custom faces. I could play on these after work. Its a good testing ground for new gear. Folks may look at you like your whacked but who cares!
Bob

 

[giggy]

how about a local training session at blue hills

rek great suggestions - I do some of this as well - when shoveling the driveway - I even make an effort to get a hug pile to practice snow anchors. works good!!!

here is a thought????
How about a local training session at blue hills (or anywhere else local) during a weeking night for people in metro boston? . I am sure we could find something there when there is enough snow. I have taken a few classes on this and know the technique - i would be more than happy to help out with easy snow climbing skills. and I am sure there are plenty of others on VFTT that would love to help as well.

Obviously, this will be nowhere near guide quality training - but good for stuff that you will encounter on the "normal winter trails" in the prezzies.

there is a place in cumberland RI that is an abandoned ski slope and also had a small slide - really good for this type of stuff when enough snow.

 

[DougPaul]

As noted earlier, any steep spot with a safe runout. You want it to be steep enough that you keep sliding for a moderate distance if you do not arrest. (Or if the runout is bad, you can also practice your boot-axe belays--make sure you have a technical snow climber at hand to supervise the belays.)

The local kids' sledding hill might be good. Let them pack down a nice slick surface and have fun. Wear a smooth nylon shell to increase speed, rough surface clothing to check speed. (Rough is safer in real self-arrest terrain...)

I'd think twice about the suggestion of plow piles--the snow will be lumpy, dirty, and will soon develop very coarse abrasive crystals.

My first formal practice was in Huntington on a low avalanche danger day. A nice slope can form there, but there are dangerous rocks near the bottom if the snow is not deep enough. (I watched a novice climber slide and break an ankle on those rocks.)

Doug

 

[sleeping bear]

That's for all of the advice.

I'll look into some of those spots.

I also really like the local practice session idea, now if only we actually had some snow!

 

[Pete_Hickey]

...local.... now if only we actually had some snow!

I guess that helps.. although if you had large sand dunes, I suspect you could practice self arrest on them.

 

[Peakbagr]

Wear a cheap rain suit. The slick top an bottom will allow you to accelerate faster and can accentuate whatever slope you locate.
A good place to go is the local sledding spot. The kids will pack it slick with their tobbagans, sleds and tubes, and if you go around dinnertime when they are leaving, the slope will be slick, and often refrozen. Put on that rain suit, and you'll be flying down the slope. Use a running start if that helps.
Start feet first/downhill, next feet first on your back, eventually move up to headfirst on your stomach, and finally headfirst on your back. Mastering each before moving on.

 

[giggy]

when we get some snow blue hills could work unless we get kicked out of the ski area -

diamond hill state park in cumberland RI (right over mass border) is a great place.

eastern mass folks any other suggestions?

 

[jessbee]

How about a local training session at blue hills (or anywhere else local) during a weeking night for people in metro boston? .

I would definitely be in for this in MA or RI, let me know if you get anything together.

 

[sapblatt]

I would definitely be in for this in MA or RI, let me know if you get anything together.

Ditto - I would love to come along for something like this near Boston - the axe looks real nice on my pack, but the point is to know what I am doing if I need it!

 

[Lawn Sale]

Willey's slide is a nice place to practice, I usually get in a few runs when I climb it.

Find a shallower slope around your house, like a sledding hill, and spend a couple of $$$ on a painters Tyvek suit, no seams to catch on the snow. I have some industrial Level C Tyvek suits left over from a hazardous waste site that are perfect, but you're kinda far away, unless you want me to mail you one. It's a lot of fun, but be forewarned, you can build a lot of speed wearing Tyvek if the hill is too steep.

 

[mookie]

giggy,
looks like your our guide/instructor.
just gotta pray for some snow now!!!

maybee we should do something @ blue hills, seeing as there arent many of us near RI.