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ANCHOR TECHNIQUE [1 record]

Record 1 2010-02-26

English

Subject field(s)
  • Mountain Sports
CONT

When the angle of ice steepens, and more security than the cross-body technique (piolet ramasse) provides is desirable, the axe is planted in the anchor position (piolet ancre) ...: with the outside hand just above the spike, the axe is swung so that the pick is anchored in the ice in front and above the climber's head with the shaft parallel to the slope. The inside hand reaches up and grasps the axe head in the self-arrest position. By pulling down on the anchored axe, the climber steps up to a new in-balance position. A gentle and constant outward pull must be kept on the shaft to set the teeth and keep the axe locked into the ice. The axe is removed by pushing the shaft toward the ice and lifting the pick up and out of the ice.

CONT

When the slope becomes too steep to descend facing outward, the climber faces sideways and descends diagonally .... Footwork changes from the duck walk (en canard) to the same flat-foot technique which was used to ascend diagonally. The axe is used in the anchor position (piolet ancre): with the outside arm, the climber swings the axe out in front and plants the pick in the ice, then flat-foots diagonally down below the axe. The shaft rotates as the climber passes below it.

OBS

Piolet ancre is used as an ascending technique with "pied à plat" or front-pointing, and as a descending technique with "pied à plat".

French

Domaine(s)
  • Sports de montagne
CONT

Le piolet-ancre [...] s'utilise en pente raide ou très raide, la lame étant enfoncée dans la glace par un coup de piolet donné en tenant celui-ci du bout du manche. [...] La main libre saisit ensuite la tête du piolet, la main aval soulevant légèrement le manche.

CONT

Passage d'un obstacle en piolet-ancre : on plante et on capelle la tête du piolet de sa main libre. On se hisse sur l'engin en ramassant le corps, et on ne se redresse sur ses crampons qu'une fois les deux pieds en terrain plat.

CONT

Progression en pointes avant. [...] en pente moyenne, on procède en piolet-ancre. [...] Quand on plante le piolet, on s'équilibre en posant la main libre sur la glace.

OBS

Les pointes avant s'emploient en conjonction avec une position de piolet-ancre dans les pentes très raides.

OBS

Selon un technicien de l'alpinisme à l'École nationale de ski et d'alpinisme de Chamonix (France), le piolet-ancre s'emploie aussi en descente très raide.

Spanish

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