Tom Phillips said:
Dot said:thehick said:But, I'll hazard
a guess, NO-ONE would consider a mountain
ascent with ice-picks and ice-shoes running.
While many may not, many trail runners up here use some type of traction
device, including crampons, and a few (not me) use ice axes for safety.
It's surprising what's runnable with the right gear. Ice axes, or some
snowshoe poles may have a pick-like device on them, may be used mostly
for self arrests.
For self arest an ice axe yes, a snowshoe pole
no. Using any sort of pole/spike will just flip
one over and tumble to one's death...
Some snowshoe poles have heads on them (sometimes accessory) like ice
axes. No, it wouldn't be used like a pole. This isn't what I had in mind
but gives an idea: http://tinyurl.com/rg7vv. Obviously a pole wouldn't
be as substantial as a real ice axe, but I can see their usefulness for
some situations.
Quoted message said:Quoted message said:In summer, you might just fall on a slope, but in
winter there's a good likelihood of sliding uncontrollably without some
means of stopping - like an ice axe. I don't do that type of running,
but I know people that do. Like any trail running, there's a mix of
running and walking, depending on conditions.
Mostly walking, since running in conditions
requiring an ice axe pretty much excludes
running. If you need an axe, those conditions
preclude both running or trail running shoes.
Most people that run outdoors this winter (actually, most recent
winters) up here have some traction device on - ranging from screw shoes
to crampons (at least I'm assuming some one up here probably runs in
Kahtoolas or something like that - I've seen just about every other
device out there). I've run without devices of some sort (ice joggers,
stabilicers, snowshoes with cleats) maybe a few times since December?
On the epic runs the Anchorage runners go on, there may be icy sections
to get between 2 sections of a run (or maybe the entire route is ice),
so they take ice axes. From the March 2 description: "The middle section
third of this route involves technical scrambling on rocks and steep,
icy slopes. If you plan on doing the full route, traction devices are
strongly advised. For example, I'll be packing running crampons and an
ice ax."
And Sunday, I sure felt like I wished I had an ice axe - or claws on my
hands. The snowshoe cleats couldn't hold in the ice, although I was
running to that point. On various sections of the trail, I did one side
plant, one face plant (literally face in snow on top of ice), and one
rear plant. yes, I know if I'd had my weight where it should've been, I
might not have done the face (uphill) or rear plant (downhill). I
finally did butt slide down the last couple hills. The other option was
bushwhacking off trail, which isn't good trail etiquette.
No, the exposure on many of these runs isn't life threatening, but it's
nice to have something to control, say, a 50-ft slide.
Yea, in my case, I'd be more likely to hurt myself on the ice axe than a
fall 😉
Quoted message said:
The original post (the fastest solo unsupported
ascent and descent of Kilimanjaro) can not be
considered a run even minus ice axe conditions,
since running at elevations above 15,000/17,000
feet is way beyond an anaerobic state.
What about running the lower elevations and hiking the higher? I didn't
read the article to see how it was done.
Dot
--
"Remorse - a good trail always makes you feel sorry that it is over no
matter how tired you are" - Matt Carpenter
