The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
an ax used by mountain climbers for cutting footholds in ice
Synonyms: ice ax, piolet
| WordNet: ice axe |
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
an ax used by mountain climbers for cutting footholds in ice
Synonyms: ice ax, piolet
| 5min Related Video: Ice-axe |
| Wikipedia: Ice axe |
An ice axe is a multi-purpose ice and snow tool employed by mountaineers both ascending and descending routes involving frozen conditions, and can be briefly described as a pickax including a sharp point or spike at the bottom of the handle, used by mountaineers for cutting footholds in ice.
Contents |
An ice axe consists of at least five components:
Common ice axe accessories include:
Ice-axe spike-to-head lengths generally range from 60 to 90 cm (or about 24 to 36 in.). This is too short to be used as a walking stick on level ground (the way its forebearer, the 5-foot (1.5 m) 19th century alpenstock, was), but is ergonomic when ascending steep slopes. Ski mountaineers often carry shorter ice axes (50-55 cm) for emergency use if unexpected conditions are encountered.
The ice axe is not only used as an aid to climbing, but also as a self rescue tool to stop an uncontrolled downhill slide.
The rating system on ice axes is determined by two groups that are shown on the axe as UIAA and/or CE certification.
A short-handled ice axe, sometimes referred to as an "ice pick"[1], was used in the assassination of Leon Trotsky in 1940, and the murder of Anthony Walker.[2] This sort of axe was used to handle blocks of ice for the household icebox, in the days before modern refrigeration.
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![]() | Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Ice axe". Read more |
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