[pct-l] Nother Question ...

[dsaufley at sprynet.com]

I would (and did) choose trekking poles over crampons.  Trekking poles are useful in so many situations, i.e, fording deep and rapid currents, and keeping me the klutz in an upright position in precarious exposures.  In the latter example I think the poles not only saved my front teeth, but my very life.  There's a lot of steep, exposed, and rocky terrain where crampons won't do you a bit of good.  I took the baskets off my poles and shortened them appropriately for snow crossings, and they worked like a charm.

Prodeal made an excellent point -- the timing of snow crossings is really the key.  Too early, and it's icy.  Too late, and you're dealing with slogging through mush and postholing.  If you wait until evening, you're back to the ice.  I found that there was an optimal time of day to cross the snow when it was much easier and safer, usually between 9-10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it worked fine for my slowpoke one-gnarly-pass-a-day pace.  Later than 2 p.m. and you risked being on the pass in the thunderstoms. Bottom line, crampons are for ice; avoid the ice and you won't need them. 

Just my .02!

L-Rod

-----Original Message-----
>From: Mark Jernigan <footslogger03 at yahoo.com>
>Sent: Dec 29, 2006 9:32 AM
>To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: [pct-l] Nother Question    ...
>
>Have gotten answers all over the map in terms of REAL need for both an ice axe and crampons.
>   
>  Now I know that a lot of it depends on the snowpack each year     ...but based on everything I've read and my own personal experience (as limited as that might be in PCT terms) I am seriously thinking of going with just crampons.
>   
>  Am I nuts ?    Will the combination of trekking poles and crampons be enough to keep me going ??
>   
>  Thanks in advance    ...
>   
>  'Slogger
>  AT 2003
>
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