NOVA Online (click here for NOVA home)
Surviving Denali (see links below for navigation)
Site Map
Learn to Self-Arrest
Back to Survival Skills



A self-arrest allows a climber to prevent a slip on snow or ice from turning into an uncontrolled slide. While moving uphill, the climber should hold his/her axe firmly in the uphill hand, with the spike pointing into the surface. The pick at the top of the axe should be pointing behind the climber.





In the event of a fall the climber should immediately place his/her free hand on the lower end of the shaft, just above the spike. The climber should bring the uphill hand up to just above his/her shoulder and drive the pick into the snow/ice surface.





With the uphill hand in this position, the climber can put the maximum amount of force into the pick, thus stopping the slide. The climber must avoid having their crampons snag on the snow or ice, which would cause him/her to flip head over heels.

Self-Arrest Snow Cave Igloo Crevasse Rescue
Self-Arrest Snow Cave Igloo Crevasse Rescue


Climb | Expedition | Mountain of Extremes
Denali for Kids | Dispatches | E-Mail | Resources
Site Map | Surviving Denali Home

Editor's Picks | Previous Sites | Join Us/E-mail | TV/Web Schedule
About NOVA | Teachers | Site Map | Shop | Jobs | Search | To print
PBS Online | NOVA Online | WGBH

© | Updated November 2000
/wgbh/nova/feedback/ /wgbh/nova/ /wgbh/nova/ /wgbh/nova/sitemap.html http://www.pbs.org/ /wgbh/nova/denali/textindex.html /wgbh/nova/denali/kids/ /wgbh/nova/denali/mail/ /wgbh/nova/denali/extremes/ /wgbh/nova/denali/climb/ /wgbh/nova/denali/expedition/ /wgbh/nova/denali/dispatches/ /wgbh/nova/denali/textindex.html /wgbh/nova/denali/