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| {{Short description|Technique in mountaineering}} | |||
| '''Self-arrest''' refers to various maneuvers employed in ], in which a climber who has fallen and is sliding down a snow or ice covered slope arrests (stops) the slide by himself or herself without recourse to a rope or other ] system.<ref name=freedom>{{cite book|edition=7|editor=Steven M. Cox and Kris Fulsaas|title=]|publisher=The Mountaineers|isbn=0-89886-828-9|location=Seattle|year=2003}}</ref> | |||
| {{See also|Self rescue (climbing)}} | |||
| {{Multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=370 | header=Mountaineers practicing self-arrests on snow slopes | |||
| | image1=Practising self arrest on Carn Eas - geograph.org.uk - 2279730.jpg|caption1=Climber has rolled onto their stomach and have embedded the pick into the snow | |||
| | image2=Self-arrest training 01.jpg|caption2=Climber in the act of trying to embed the pick while rolling onto their stomach | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''self-arrest''' is a ] mostly used in ] and ] where a climber who has fallen and is sliding uncontrollably down a snow or ice-covered slope 'arrests' their fall by themselves by using their ] and their ]s.<ref>{{cite web | magazine=UKClimbing | title=Essential Winter Ice Axe Self Arrest | first=George | last=McEwan | date=5 March 2015 | accessdate=13 July 2024 | url=https://www.ukhillwalking.com/articles/skills/series/skills/essential_winter_ice_axe_self_arrest-7141}}</ref> | |||
| There are many ways to self-arrest depending on the climber's body position while falling (e.g. falling head-first and/or falling on their back etc.,) but they mostly involve the climber quickly digging the pick of their ice axe into the slope (with the adze of the axe at their shoulder and the axe held at either end diagonally across their body), rolling over onto their stomach so that they can use their full body weight to push down harder on the pick, and simultaneously digging the front-points of their crampons into the slope.<ref name=VD/><ref name=REI/> | |||
| Self-arrest can be performed by using some combination of a climber's boots, hands, feet, knees, elbows, ], and/or ]. These potentially life-saving techniques must be practiced frequently in order to maintain proficiency. Use of an ice axe greatly increases the probability of effectively stopping a fall down a ], ], or ]. | |||
| Practicing the 'self-arrest' is a core skill set for mountaineers in snow and ice-covered terrain. On steeper ground such as in ]s (particularly ice-covered), and on glaciers where a ] member falling into a crevasse is about to drag the other members into the crevasse with them, it is critical that the climber(s) can execute the 'self-arrest' quickly and decisively—ideally performed as an instinctive and instantaneous movement without having to think about how to do it—before speed builds up with more serious consequences.<ref name=VD>{{cite book | title=Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue: The Climber's Guide to Accessing Alpine Terrain | first1=Mike |last1=Thomas | first2=Neil | last2=Chelton | date=2020 | isbn=9798641119205 | url=https://www.vdiffclimbing.com/glacier-travel-moving/ | accessdate=10 July 2024 | chapter=Chapter: Glacier Travel – Moving on Snow}}</ref><ref name=REI>{{cite web | website=] | url=https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/how-to-use-an-ice-axe-for-mountaineering.html | title=How to Use an Ice Axe for Mountaineering | first=Katrina | last=Bloemsma | date=2024 | accessdate=9 July 2024}}</ref> | |||
| ==Self-arrest techniques== | |||
| {{unreferencedsection|date=March 2013}} | |||
| ''Cautionary note:'' | |||
| ''This article is not intended to provide instruction on how to perform a successful self-arrest. Its scope is merely descriptive in nature. Do not expect to be successful performing a self-arrest just by following the description in this article. Self-arrest should be learned from a qualified instructor and requires repeated practice in order to become proficient at it.'' | |||
| '''With an ice axe:''' | |||
| The most important part of the maneuver is to get into the correct self-arrest position. In this position the climber is in the ] with feet oriented downslope, legs bent at the knees, and elbows tucked tightly against the torso. The axe is held diagonally across the chest and abdomen, with one hand tightly gripping the head of the axe and the other positioned at the base of the shaft, just above the ]. The head of the axe is close to the shoulder and the ] is buried as deeply into the slope as possible. Once in this position the climber arcs his body so that three critical points are in contact with the slope — the pick and the knees, with as much of the climber's weight as possible on the pick. | |||
| This maneuver is easiest when the climber falls face down and is sliding feet first down the slope. If he falls in any other position — face up, feet oriented upslope, etc. — he must first rotate his body, using the pick of the axe as a pivot point, until he is in the optimal position as described above. Self-arrest may be much more difficult to perform in such cases. | |||
| '''Self-arrest grip:''' | |||
| To be able to perform the self-arrest maneuver the pick of the ice axe should project away from the body when the hand on top of it is brought to the shoulder. To ensure that this is accomplished as fast as possible, climbers often adopt the so-called self-arrest grip. In this grip, the axe is held in the upslope hand with the tips of the fingers oriented towards the spike at the base of the shaft. The thumb is positioned over the ], and the pick projects out beyond the little finger. When walking or climbing with the axe held in this manner, the pick points backwards while the adze points in the direction of travel. If the axe is held pick forward, it needs to be reversed in the hand to bring it to bear against the slope. This delays the implementation of the maneuver, and can cause the climber to lose control of his axe. | |||
| ''' While wearing crampons:''' | |||
| While sliding down a slope, a climber wearing crampons should keep the feet away from the slope, using the knees instead as points of contact. Putting weight on the feet while wearing crampons will cause their points to snag in the ice or snow, potentially causing significant injury to the climber's ankles and sending him/her into an uncontrolled and possibly fatal tumble down the slope. | |||
| '''Without an ice axe:''' | |||
| Without recourse to an ice axe, a skilled climber will attempt to orient his body it is in the optimal position as described above, and to put as much pressure as possible on the hands and knees, and (if not wearing crampons) toes. | |||
| ==Effectiveness of self-arrest== | |||
| Self-arrest is by no means an infallible technique. The likelihood of being able to arrest a slide in this way is estimated to be around 50%{{cn|date=May 2014}}, and this depends on three main factors: | |||
| * Angle of the slope: The greater the angle of the slope, the harder it is to arrest a slide. On very steep slopes, the chance of effective self-arrest may approach zero. | |||
| * Hardness of the slope: The harder the surface of the slope the harder it is to perform self-arrest. On icy slopes (e.g., on an ]), the pick may fail to engage the surface, or it may bounce with great force on hitting a snag making it difficult to even maintain control of the axe. Negative or neutral angle picks are considered superior by some in this regard as they have a lower tendency to snag on the ice while others maintain that they will not penetrate ice as easily as positive angle picks. | |||
| The tip of the pick of the ice axe forms a short blade. When there is positive clearance the downhill point of this blade will engage the ice first when the axe is in arrest position. With negative clearance the uphill point of the blade will engage first. On hard ice, a negative-clearance-axe will skate across the surface when attempting arrest, resulting in very little braking force. This has often resulted in very serious injury and death. A positive- clearance point will dig in aggressively, requiring skill to avoid excessive braking force but giving the climber his/her best chance to survive. | |||
| * Speed in performing the maneuver: The longer the delay of the climber before he/she starts to put weight on the axe's pick the longer s/he freely accelerates down the slope. If the climber is slow to perform the maneuver, by the time s/he gets in self-arrest position his/her speed may be high enough to make the arrest impossible. Due to this phenomenon, all climbers should at all times maintain the utmost proficiency in their self-arrest skills. Many climbers would wisely dedicate a day at the beginning of the season to reviewing self-arrest techniques in order to maintain their proficiency over time. The maneuver should be practiced in all its possible variants. | |||
| ==Self-arrest as a safety measure== | |||
| Self-arrest is a measure of last recourse. In general one should not rely on self-arrest to assure safety while engaging a slope. Instead the appropriate techniques of ] or roped belay should be used. Mountaineering experts have suggested that use of a ] and ] without intermediate ] points, as done by roped parties during glacier travel, should be avoided when travelling on terrain with a significant incline. This technique may make self-arrest almost impossible, causing the fall of a single climber to bring down the entire party. | |||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| {{commons category}} | |||
| ⚫ | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| ⚫ | * ] | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
| ===Further reading=== | |||
| *Pit Schubert, ''Sicherheit und Risiko in Fels und Eis Band 1 (7th edition)'', ] (2005), ISBN 3-7633-6016-6 | |||
| * {{cite book | date=2020| first1=Mike |last1=Thomas | first2=Neil |last2=Chelton | title=Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue | publisher=VDiff Climbing | isbn=979-8641119205}} | |||
| * {{cite book | date=2018 | title=] | edition=9th | isbn=978-1846892622 | publisher=Quiller Publishing | author=]}} | |||
| * {{cite book | date=2013 | first1=Mike | last1=Zawaski | title=Snow Travel: Climbing, Hiking, and Crossing Over Snow | publisher=] | isbn= 978-1594857201}} | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| *, {{ill|Ortovox|de}} (2024) | |||
| * | |||
| * ] (2023) | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| {{climbing-nav}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 19:34, 13 July 2024
Technique in mountaineering See also: Self rescue (climbing) Mountaineers practicing self-arrests on snow slopes
Climber has rolled onto their stomach and have embedded the pick into the snow
Climber in the act of trying to embed the pick while rolling onto their stomach
The self-arrest is a climbing technique mostly used in mountaineering and alpine climbing where a climber who has fallen and is sliding uncontrollably down a snow or ice-covered slope 'arrests' their fall by themselves by using their ice axe and their crampons.
There are many ways to self-arrest depending on the climber's body position while falling (e.g. falling head-first and/or falling on their back etc.,) but they mostly involve the climber quickly digging the pick of their ice axe into the slope (with the adze of the axe at their shoulder and the axe held at either end diagonally across their body), rolling over onto their stomach so that they can use their full body weight to push down harder on the pick, and simultaneously digging the front-points of their crampons into the slope.
Practicing the 'self-arrest' is a core skill set for mountaineers in snow and ice-covered terrain. On steeper ground such as in couloirs (particularly ice-covered), and on glaciers where a rope team member falling into a crevasse is about to drag the other members into the crevasse with them, it is critical that the climber(s) can execute the 'self-arrest' quickly and decisively—ideally performed as an instinctive and instantaneous movement without having to think about how to do it—before speed builds up with more serious consequences.
See also
References
- McEwan, George (5 March 2015). "Essential Winter Ice Axe Self Arrest". UKClimbing. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Mike; Chelton, Neil (2020). "Chapter: Glacier Travel – Moving on Snow". Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue: The Climber's Guide to Accessing Alpine Terrain. ISBN 9798641119205. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ Bloemsma, Katrina (2024). "How to Use an Ice Axe for Mountaineering". REI. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
Further reading
- Thomas, Mike; Chelton, Neil (2020). Glacier Travel and Crevasse Rescue. VDiff Climbing. ISBN 979-8641119205.
- The Mountaineers (2018). Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills (9th ed.). Quiller Publishing. ISBN 978-1846892622.
- Zawaski, Mike (2013). Snow Travel: Climbing, Hiking, and Crossing Over Snow. The Mountaineers. ISBN 978-1594857201.
External links
- SELF-ARREST TECHNIQUES ON A GLACIER, Ortovox [de] (2024)
- VIDEO:Winter skills 2.5: how to ice axe arrest in the snow British Mountaineering Council (2023)
