I gotta a question to axe..

“I'm planning on climbing Mount Madison Sunday (New Hampshire, presidential range - just north of Mt. Washington) - high temp at the base Sunday is predicted to be 8 degrees. I'l be taking snowshoes and crampons and hiking poles with baskets for snow. Question is, should I take an ice axe?”

“I ask because I just gone through the attic and pulled out everything I might want to pack. I'll probably keep the axe out and think it over. I head up tomorrow afternoon, am renting a cabin with friends and will start out early Sunday morning.”

“In that environment and in that weather, I think an ice axe might well be a great insurance policy.”

“Bring the Ice Axe but at 8 degrees dont lick the axe”

“For shizzle, Ped. If it gets to vertical, the axe will arrest you far better than the hiking pole...”

“Take it or you'll have a heartaxe if you stumble.”

“that was really, really, really, really, really, reall,


































really, really, really bad, timmah!”

“You'd need 3 hands to use the trekking poles and ice axe. And where do you put the crampons when you're wearing snow shoes?”

“Why do you want to carry back a basket of snow?”

“What about that gizmo Black Diamond makes? You should Whippet!

I believe they used to sell just the top section, then you could use the lower parts of your existing poles if the diameters matched up.


(for your more everyday axking needs.... Gränsfors Bruks)”

“That Whippet looks cool - but $90, yikes!

There's no use for an ice axe & crampons in the snow, right? Those are ice tools.”

“I thought that little Gränsfors Bruks belt axe was cool, but ridiculous at $90. Now it's $140??”

“Yo Ped...just did Lafeyette yesterday...was all snowshoe to the cone and then crampons..they were a bit of overkill on the rocks but I didnt have any insteps. How are you going up...valley way or great gulf? I can't imagine there will be any issues that you wont be able to handle with just using your snowshoes until you get up past the hut...heck there were a lot of ppl bare booting it yesterday..GRRRR and I would suspect all your trails will be just as well groomed. I really dont think you are gunna have any issues either way but the extra wieght isn't gunna mean that much...more weight builds more charactor...lol
last edited: 1/25/09 10:09:21 AM”

“Well I guess I am too late now, but.

I would take the axe. Last time I was on Madison we backed off because the wind was enough to take you off your feet.
An axe will stop a slide, poles will not.
Even below treeline we used crampons as the trail was packed down and then frozen.”

“Thanks for the input, I think y'all were right, it was important to be prepared for ice. I took the axe and crampons, but didn't use either. Although some used both even before hitting the hut, when the snow was ultra packed, steep and crusty. I bare booted it halfway to the hut, put on snowshoes and ended up turning around at the hut. I was slower than I wanted to be and we started later than I wanted (It was below zero in the valley when we were planning to set out and I was outvoted on whether to start about an hour later). When I got to the hut, I was worried about getting back to the car at a reasonable time. There was some nasty stuff swirling around the summit which wasn't visible from the hut - so I wimped out did the wise thing and turned around with the majority of the group. Two brave souls including a friend who needed Madison to finish his 48 went ahead using crampons and (I think) axes. It was getting pretty dark when they hit the parking lot. Since I was going slower than they were, it was probably a good thing I headed down.

The two who did summit both indicated that in retrospect it was a dumb idea to do it - still we all celebrated his finishing the 48.

Masked Man - Lafayette was one of my favorite winter peaks so far. Walking the ridge was really fun (we did the falling waters - old bridle trail loop). That hike a couple years back was the last time I was over 5K in a winter hike in New Englad. Perhaps I'll see you on the trail one day.
last edited: 1/26/09 11:05:27 AM”