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Master the Shoulder Axe Carry

By

Jason Albert

Air under skis, axe secured under the shoulder strap ready for a quick deployment.

Gavin Hess tapping into his free riding soul with air under skis and axe secured under the shoulder strap—ready for quick deployment. Photo: Adam Fabrikant

  Make the pucker factor in the steeps less puckery: Here are few easy steps to master the shoulder axe carry.   There are a few ways to carry an axe while descending a steep and potentially icy slope. Often, spltiboarders will descend with a single axe in hand. Whether in the front or back…

Responses

  1. Patrick Nygren

    I’ve never seen the pick pointed towards the middle of the neck like that, I’ve more commonly seen this orientation – https://www.instagram.com/davejsearle/reel/C8R-OBptJoU/

    What’s the rationale for the pick pointed back towards the body instead of away?

    1. Jason Albert

      Hey Patrick, thanks for the link. I’d not seen Searle’s tutorial. I rotate the pick/head in an orientation where the pick (at least at slow speeds and fingers crossed) is unlikely to impale me and there’s an unfortunate fall while skiing. In the IG vid, with the pick pointed outwards, I imagine one might be more likely—in the event of a fall—to have the head/neck rotate and come in closer proximity to the pick. I’ve seen a few resources out there. Here’s Petzl’s diagram with the pick inward. Curious to know if Searle orients the pick in the opposite direction for skiing rather than alpine climbing. Thanks for sending that along. Petzl link: https://www.petzl.com/US/en/Sport/Ice-axe-usage-for-skiing?ActivityName=Ski-touring

    2. Gavin Hess

      Second opinion here – I don’t have a hard and fast rule/opinion on which way the axe should go in a shoulder strap. It seems to depend a bit on how many layers/hoods one is wearing, along with geometry of the axe and pack as well. I tend to go for “pick out” orientation with slightly more aggressive tools and a few layers/hoods on as it seems to sit better than stuffing a sharp pick into my hoods. I cant say I put a ton of thought into the risk of poking myself if I crash, as most times I am skiing with an axe in my shoulder strap, there are bigger issues if a blow it. On that note, I try my best to remember to stow the axe more securely before opening it up in an apron, both for poking hazard and loss prevention

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