5 Ways To Use An Ice Axe: (Step By Step Guides & Videos)

A good ice axe is one of the most essential accessories when climbing in the winter or alpine. It is important to become familiar with the different types of ice axes before you go shopping. Aside from knowing how to use it properly, you must also know how to maintain it. You can use this information to decide what kind of ice axe you require.

What is the purpose of ice axes? Using an ice axe, you can:

1. When walking over snow or ice, provide support and balance. It will be similar to a hiking stick.
2. If you’re ascending a gentle slope, chop or cut steps into the snow or ice.
3. If you’re scrambling up a steep slope or climbing up, use the anchor as an anchor.
4. You can do self arrest with the help of it. 
5. Make a T-Slot Anchor for belaying or rappelling. 

It is as dangerous to use an ice axe incorrectly as not to use one at all. There are many sharp points that can cause serious injuries if not handled properly. Find out how to use an ice axe properly in each of the above situations by reading on.

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An Ice Axe’s Anatomy

Before you can use the ice axe, you must learn its parts’ names. 

Head: The shorter section of the ice axe. There are two tools on the head, the pick and the adze.

Adze: This is the ending of the head that is flat and wide. 

Pick: This is the point of the head. 

Long shaft: This is the main part of the ice axe. You may find that the shaft is fitted with a grip that gives you more traction when you are holding the ice axe. 

Spike: At the end of the shaft, there is a sharp point. When you use an ice axe for walking, you have traction on the snow or ice.

Leash: Some ice axes come with leashes. Those that don’t usually have a leash attached are usually provided with an opening along the shaft. 

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Is There A Difference Between An Ice Axe And An Ice Tool

As the name implies, an ice tool is a type of ice axe that is specifically designed to climb ice vertically. When compared to an ice axe, an ice tool is usually shorter and more curved.

The differences between ice axe and ice tool can be found here.

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Case 1: To Walk Or Hike 

Ice axes are used mostly for this purpose. If you’re walking on snow fields or gently inclined terrain, it can help you maintain your balance. It works just like a hiking stick.

Walking uphill with an ice axe

An ice axe is shown here being used as a walking aid:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. Axes should be held upright. With the spike on the ground, the shaft should be vertical. 
2. Grasp the head with your fingers. You should place the shaft between your index and middle finger. You can also have it between your middle and ring fingers. You should not hold the head only by the adze end or pick end. 
3. The hand holding the ice axe depends on whether you’re walking straight uphill or downhill. Depending on where you prefer to self-arrest, you will use either hand. 
4. If the slope is steeper, it may be easier to walk up in a zigzag manner (as shown in the video). When this happens, you will be facing the uphill side while facing the downhill side. If you hold an ice axe with your upslope hand, you’ll need to hold it with that hand. Thus, every time you make a turn on the zigzag, an ice axe needs to be switched to the other hand. 
5. Properly holding an axe is essential. Push your ice axe into the snow in front of you (not directly in front of you, but on both sides).
6. Step into the snow with your boots or crampons. Ideally, it should be half your shoe size. Don’t take tiny steps that you have to practically tiptoe on. In order to make the steps more stable, cut them into the slope at an angle. 

7. Step forward (or two steps back) until the ice axe is beside you. 
8. The ice axe will act as a balance and support device when you are stepping with your feet. Make sure the spike is firmly placed on the ice or snow. If you are balancing on your ice axe, you don’t want it to slip. 
9. In order to plunge the ice axe in front of you again, you need to be stable on both of your feet. You should not move your ice axe mid-step. If you are unstable on your feet, do not move your ice axe. 
10. Keep your ice axe in front of you at all times when skiing. Take your ice axe and plunge it into the snow. Make your way to your ice axe. Keep your distance from it. While pulling your ice axe from behind you, you can easily lose balance if you walk in front of your ice axe. 
11. The hand holding the ice axe needs to be changed whenever you make a turn while walking in a zigzag. 
12. Before making a turn, place the ice axe ahead of you. Make sure the step is wide enough for both your feet. To make the turn, you need to take this step. You can change which hand holds the ice axe when both your feet are balanced on the wide step. Keep your ice axe in your upslope hand at all times. 
13. Your ice axe can now be moved forward once again with the new hand. As before, keep stepping.

In case you missed it, you can see him making a turn and switching hands with the ice axe here:

Tips for insiders: If you are following a guide or another climber, use the steps they have created. In case of hard snow or ice, this will save you time and energy.  – Rotate leadership roles so that one person does not do all the work.

How To Walk Downhill Using An Ice Axe

It is important to keep your ice axe behind you when walking downhill. 

Either you can go straight down the slope, or you can go sideways in a zigzag pattern. This is what you can see here: 

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. Grasp the spike of the ice axe with both hands and plunge it into the snow nearby. 
2. If you are going down a slope, you need to get a firm footing before removing your ice axe. As you step into the snow, drive your heels into the snow. Your steps will be more stable and secure if your toes are pointed up. It is ideally half the size of your shoe to take the step. Taking tiny steps isn’t something you want to do on tiptoe. 
3. Once the ice axe is behind you, take a step (or two). 
4. Once your feet are stable, you can pull your ice axe out and plunge it back in beside you. You should not move your ice axe mid-step. If you are unsteady on your feet, do not move your ice axe. 

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Case 2: To Cut Steps Into Hard Snow Or Ice 

The snow, ice, or both have to be quite soft for use case #1. You can use your boots or crampons to create steps as you go.

There may be times when the ice is too hard. If you do not have crampons, you may find that your boots will not provide the grip needed to climb steep slopes. You will then need to cut steps into the ice using an ice axe. 

By cutting steps with your ice axe, you are no longer using it as a hiking stick. To make sure the steps are stable, you should make them wide and wide enough.

Here’s how to do it:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. Axes should be held by the shaft. 
2. It’s not a good idea to bend over too far when cutting the steps. When you are, move your hand toward the spike end of the shaft.
3. If you are chopping steps, you should not be facing upslope. Put your dominant hand on the uphill side of your body as you move sideways. 
4. The head’s adze end will be used to chop ice. To scoop out the ice, swing the ice axe towards the ice and use the blade as a mini scoop. Parallel to your body, the swing should run along your side. As a result, you will not be hit by the ice axe when you swing it. 

5. To cut a step into the snow here, you need to avoid damaging the surrounding snow. Stepping up will be difficult if you are slipping backward because there is loose snow or ice all around the step. 
6. The hard surface will need to be broken up by chopping it several times. When that’s done, you can use your boots to deepen or widen the step. You should be able to place both feet on the step.
7. Step up with your feet facing upslope. Then, step up with the downslope feet when that foot has been firmly planted. 
8. Ideally, every step you chop should be wide enough to accommodate both of your steps. You can alternate between steps if you want to save time and energy. Hence, one step will accommodate both feet, the next step one foot wide, and so on. Your upslope feet will always take the narrower step. In order to chop the next step, you must support yourself mostly on your upslope feet. Whenever your weight is primarily on your downslope feet, you must never chop a step. 

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Case 3: To Scramble Or Climb Up A Steep Slope

If the slopes become too steep for walking, you will have to use your hands and feet to climb up. 

You need shorter tools for vertical ice climbing. However, if you encounter a slope with a 45-degree incline, you can use an ice axe to help you climb. 

You will use different techniques depending on the snow conditions. 

Scrambling Or Climbing Harder And Firmer Snow With An Ice Axe

You can do it this way: 

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. This steep incline will have you on all fours. The way you move will be similar to the way you do when climbing vertical walls. 
2. You will hold the ice axe in one hand. Using the pick, dig into the snow to act as an anchor point. 
3. Ice axes can be held in two different ways
   • Axe 1: Hold it by the head. Your thumb and the adze should face you when holding the head. The pick will face away from you. You should align the shaft with your forearm somewhat. At 1:20 in the video above, you can see it.
   • Using Method 2, hold the ice axe just below the head by its shaft. Adzes and picks should be pointed at you, with adzes facing you. At 1:27 in the video above, you can see it.
4. With your dominant hand, use the ice axe. Because you only have one ice axe, you won’t have much grip on the snow with your other hand.
5. Grab the ice axe handle and plunge it into the snow. There should be a slope on which the shaft rests. It should be secure and you should have a firm grip on the ice axe.
6. One by one, move your feet. Make sure each foot has a solid foundation. You can’t cut steps for your feet here using an ice axe. Make sure you have the proper steps for both of your feet before you remove the ice axe. Your weight shouldn’t be solely supported by the ice axe.   
7. After you have stabilized your feet, move your ice axe to a higher position.  

If you’re going down steep slopes, you can do the same thing in reverse. Be sure the pick of your ice axe is firmly embedded in the snow before stepping down. 

As a result, this method of descending is slower and requires more energy. The only time you should use this method is if any other method wouldn’t be comfortable for you. 

Here’s what that looks like in action:

Scrambling Or Climbing A Thick Layer Of Soft Snow With An Ice Axe

At 1:50 in the video above, you can see this.

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. Axes should be held upright. 
2. Both hands should be on the ice axe’s head. One hand should be on the adze and one on the pick. Spikes should face downward.
3. Make sure the ice axe is deep in the snow. Snow should be falling vertically down the shaft.
4. As deep as you can, push the ice axe into the snow until it hits fairly hard snow. 
5. Once the ice axe is firmly anchored, start moving your feet one at a time. 
6. Ensure that you have a firm footing. Then, remove the ice axe and plunge it up the slope. 

As you can see, this method requires a lot of work. You’ll become very tired very quickly. 

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Case 4: To Perform Self-Arrest Or Self-Rescue 

On ice, you are bound to slip and fall here and there and you need to be extra careful when going downhill. 

Falling must be stopped as quickly as possible. By doing so, you will avoid gaining too much speed or spinning into an awkward position. You are less likely to perform a self-arrest if you are falling rapidly. Ice axes will not stop a high-speed fall, and you may even lose your grip or get injured if you try. 

The best way to self-arrest is to be on your back (ideal position).

You can learn to make a self-arrest and hand your ice axe to avoid slipping:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. You should slide downhill with your legs first in an ideal self-arrest position (if there is one!). As you face the slope, you will also be facing inwards. The video above shows what you saw.
2. Ice axes can be used as hiking sticks regardless of which side has the adze or pick. You can see in the video that it depends on how smoothly you are able to move from the walking position to the self-arrest position. Try out the different positions with both your hands and determine what works best for you. 
3. With one hand, hold the head of the ice axe. As you will be facing the adze, you will have your thumb facing you. The pick will face away from you. 
4. Hold the lower end of the shaft, near the spike, with your other hand. 

Tips from insiders: The ice axe head must be held with either of your hands at all times to perform a self-arrest. In an emergency, you won’t have time to switch hands with your ice axe.

1. Before you self-arrest, make sure both hands are firmly gripping the ice axe. You may lose your grip on the ice axe if you hold it with only one hand. Stopping your fall will also transfer the impact to your arm. You may even dislocate your shoulder, elbow, or wrist in the worst case scenario. 
2. You must plunge the ice axe pick into the snow using both of your hands. Continue to press the ice axe head down as it is plunged in. You can also add weight to the ice axe by looking down on its head. Ice axes should not be removed from the snow. 
3. Maintain a tight grip on the ice axe. You should place the head of the ice axe around your collarbone.  You can then exert more force into the pick to stop your fall. 
4. Using an ice axe first is the best way to stop your fall. Lift your feet back towards your butt while keeping them lifted. In the event that your feet catch something that stops your fall before your ice axe, you may find yourself flipping. The slope ends with you sliding down headfirst! 
5. You can use your feet to stop yourself if you fall slowly enough.

Most of your falls will not put you in an ideal position to self-arrest. While on your back or sliding down headfirst, you cannot self-arrest. The fastest way to get down the slope is to get your legs down the slope and your body facing inwards.

When you are rolling down the slope, spread your arms and legs out like a starfish to stop yourself. 

If You Are On Your Back, You Can Self-Arrest 

Here’s what you should do if you’re sliding down a slope on your back:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. The ice axe should be held in the same way you would during a normal self-arrest – one hand on the head with the pick facing out, the other hand on the spike end.
2. Ideally, the head of the ice axe should be at your right collarbone, and the spike end of the shaft at your left hip area. 
3. Your ice axe should be held close to your chest. 
4. As you slide down the slope, turn your body towards the side where the ice axe’s head is located. Turn inwards so that you are facing the slope. 
5. As soon as you are in the ideal self-arrest position, you can stop yourself fully as described above. 

Sliding headfirst while on your front and performing a self-arrest

Here’s what you need to do:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. When you are preparing to self-arrest, hold the ice axe with one hand on the spike end and the other hand on the head of the axe.
2. Your arm holding the head of the ice axe should be stretched straight out at shoulder level.
3. Ice axe picks are used to drag along the surface of ice or snow. 
4. Focus your gaze on the head of your ice axe. By doing this, you will begin to angle your body so that you can start turning.
5. Keep your weight on the head of the ice axe as the pick drags along the snow. While holding onto the ice axe that’s dragging in the ice, the momentum will carry your legs down the slope. 
6. Continue to apply pressure to the ice axe pick until your legs are downslope.
7. Following the steps described above, you can stop yourself fully once you are in the ideal self-arrest position. 

Sliding head-first while on your back and performing a self-arrest

Here’s what you need to do:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. When you are preparing to self-arrest, hold the ice axe with one hand on the spike end and the other hand on the head of the axe.
2. In this case, you want to drag the ice axe pick into the snow at hip height. 
3. Here, you will need to use your core muscles. Take your shoulders off the snow and try to lift your head. Take a closer look at the ice axe head. If you do this, your body will be angled to one side so that you can turn the right way around.
4. While the pick drags along the snow, keep your weight on the head of the ice axe. You should keep your arms in tension rather than straightening them out. As you slow down with the ice axe, the momentum will carry your legs down the slope.
5. When you are in the ideal self-arrest position, you can stop yourself fully by following the steps described above.ve. 

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Case 5: To Build A T-slot Anchor For Belaying Or Rappelling 

Ice axes can also be used as T-slot anchors for belaying or rappelling. 

Beginner climbers who are not confident on steep slopes may benefit from belaying. You may also find yourself in a terrain with steep, short slopes. Self-arrests, however, may not be enough to stop you from falling off an edge in such cases. It is necessary to use a belay in this situation.

Anchors can also be used for rappelling. If you do not want to descend a section on foot, you can rappel down. Rappelling is a sport in itself for some people! 

This is how you can build a T-slot anchor using your ice axe:

The Step-by-Step Guide

1. Set up your anchor in a good location. Snow that is harder is better. You can stomp on soft snow until you reach firmer snow beneath the surface.
2. Trace the letter T first. The vertical part of the letter T should point downward. You will place your axe on the horizontal part of the letter T. Ensure it is long enough.
3. Make a T-shaped hole in the ice. 
4. You should avoid disturbing the ice or snow around the T shape when cutting it out. The ice and anchor support will be weakened by this.

5. Make sure you dig at least 30 cm (12 inches) deep. You need to go deeper in softer snow.
6. To a wooden shaft, attach a clove hitch in order to attached belay material (e.g., a sling). In general, the clove hitch should be centered over the shaft or a little closer to the head. 
7. In the horizontal part of the letter T, place the ice axe. Ice picks should face downward. The belay material should be placed vertically in the letter T.
8. Ice axes must be firmly embedded in the snow. If you have to, stomp on it. In order to provide even more support, you can backfill the horizontal part of the letter T with ice. Also, stomp on the ice. Choose ice that is further upslope from where you dug the hole. 
9. Put your force where the sling will be. Axes must remain firmly in place and should not move. 
10. With the T-slot anchor, you can either do a direct belay or you can attach yourself to it and do a body belay. Both methods can be seen in the video above at 4:00.
11. You should also dig a trench or a bucket seat if you are belaying on a very steep slope. Here’s how to do it.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):