Ice axe skills - how to learn self arrest (and should you learn anything else)?

[Cartable]

I've been thinking about an ice axe and have seen several references to self arrest.

Any advice on a safe way to learn how to self arrest and any other axe skills that might come in handy?

 

[profpointy]

For what it's worth I am self-taught, or strictly speaking, learnt it from a book: the rather wonderful book "Climbing Ice" by Yvon Chounard. (founder of Patagonia gear as well as being an noted mountaineer)

Quite a funny anecdote was me and a mate on Helvellyn one winter when I showed him how to ice axe brake. A year or so later he asked where I'd learnt and was shocked when I said I'd learnt it from a book, and had never actually done it before that occasion !

I dare say being taught by someone who actually knows what to do is better, but Chounard's written explanation worked for me

 

[Glyder]

It's a useful skill, which I think you can teach yourself provided you find a suitable slope. I taught myself the basics but I did learn a lot more on an Alpine training Course at Glenmore lodge. By the end of that day I could fall backwards wearing crampons and right myself and arrest within a few metres. They also taught us to arrest at speed without the pick being torn out your hands which I once witnessed.

If you're going to carry an ice axe it's as well to know how to use it beyond leaning on it as a walking pole, arrest, step cutting, shelter building with it and even carrying it properly so it's accessible when you need it.

 

[Yorci]

If winter walking I always carry my ice axe and crampons. I particularly like to go up Helvelyn in the winter, a great walk any time but even more magical in winter, I am yet to see the tarn frozen, which would make a great photo.

I would recommend, always get to learn how to use them properly first, and would say getting trained on a course, is much better than a book, and then practice what you have learned/been taught, so you don't deskill in it. You never know when it might come in handy. There are many advantages of a course, apart from having your technique criticised and fine tuned, on the 2 day course I went on which was held in Aviemore, we were taught how to read the snow, dangers of drifts caused by wind and how to make a snow hole. Plus it was a fun experience with like minded people.