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Topic Date User

Simond Ice Gear 20-Feb-2009 At 5:36:32 PM Glenn

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It would be great to get more people into leashless climbing down this way for sure. I
got to do a couple of days climbing in France a few years back and had to borrow gear.
I was given tools without leashes for an alpine route and they didn't have leashes. When
I asked after them the reply was, "but it's not that steep, it's only vertical". I was told
that when climbers in France learn to climb they are given leashless tools, so they don't
miss them.

As mentioned, you actually get less pumped with leashless tools because you rest
your arms more by swapping hands and shaking out as you would when climbing rock. I
did a couple of alpine routes leashless but my issue was getting hit by a rock or ice
while unroped. Maybe a case for having leashes on while soloing and leashes off on the
cruxes. If you drop a tool you are going to try to get a piece of gear in and rap off. There
was a trend a number of years back to always carry a third tool (this was even before
the world went leashless), but I haven't seen this much in photos. What have you guys
seen the Canadians do?

I think if a light tool isn't planting then it is something to do with the pick rather than the
tool being light per se. Tools have been getting lighter and lighter and things only seem
to be getting better in terms of performance. Plus light tools mean you get less tired so
your swing is more accurate and hence a better stick.

By the way, if anyone is interested in some free coaching or providing some free
coaching and is in NZ this winter then let me know since I organise instruction
weekends over winter on Mt Ruapehu. They are aimed towards technical climbing -
placing ice screws one handed, leashless climbing, double rope systems in the alpine
environment - all that mallarky. We have had a few Aussies across previously and it
would be good to get some more. Plus there are going to be climbing meets in the
South Island again this winter - Darrans, maybe West Coast neves - so lots of technical
climbing to be had.

To answer a couple of questions:

1. No you can't interchange picks in the Simond range. So if you get the Vautours for
instance you can't use a Naja pick with them. The reason is that the shafts of each axe
differ (e.g., the Vautours are designed for a lot of hammering and chopping so are
straighter), and so the picks need to be different to make sure the pick enters the ice at
the right angle.

2. I'm not sure what the old versions of the Trac-Ups were like. The current version has
an ice climbing mode in which the wrist part loosens as you bring your hand above the
head of the axe and thus you escape the leash just by lifting your hand. Then when you
reinsert your hand and drop your hand back to the grip, the leash tightens again. In
mountaineering mode the leash always stays tight around the wrist.