Mike Zawaski, Author of "Snow Travel," on Backcountry Safety and Climbing Techniques

March 19, 2015

by Peter Reese
Mike Zawaski, Author of "Snow Travel," on Backcountry Safety and Climbing Techniques

Active Junky first met Mike when he was teaching Wilderness Medicine in Boulder, Colorado.  His sharp mind combined with pointed crampons and piercing ice axes to deliver Snow Travel from Mountaineer Books, almost two hundred pages of essential reading.  Two decades of mountain travel (and counting) and instructing with the Colorado Outward Bound School give his advice added credibility.  Three questions propelled this energized and exclusive exchange:

Trekking across Colorado’s alpine snowfields yields nothing but sweat, smiles and adrenaline.
Down-climbing with the ice axe in self-arrest position.
Descending diagonally by chopping steps.
Front pointing in Rocky Mountain National Park, using the low dagger technique with the axe in his right hand. (All of these techniques are further articulated in Zawaski’s book.)
Kicking out a platform to put skis on.
Dropping!
What looks like a mellow traverse can actually be treacherous in nature.
Climbing with two ice axes in low dagger position.
High dagger position allows you to transition into self-arrest position easily.
Climbing next to a boulder is a good way to practice your technique.

1) What should travelers be most concerned about during early-season BC travel (hiking/climbing/skinning)?

History has proven that as early as October, people can be killed by avalanches.  With that in mind, I make conservative decisions early in the season. My biggest concern is a shallow snowpack.  With a shallow snowpack, I am most worried about damaging my skis or my body if I hit a rock because we are generally skiing down a boulder field covered in snow. This also applies to climbing because hiking across a snowy boulder field can be dangerous. Boulders are slippery and you can twist a joint stepping into a void between two rocks. I'm also extra cautious skiing in the trees because stumps and logs may be right below the snow surface.

2) What climbing or descending skill is most often ignored -- but makes a big difference in traveling fast and safely?

I think the skill that is most often lacking for many climbers is descending steep snow without crampons.  Even if the snow is soft, falling and sliding on 45° slopes or greater can mean accelerating to high speeds quickly.  If I am on a clean slope – meaning I'm not worried about falling into some hole-I will face into the slope and front point with my feet while holding the axe in the self arrest position. While front pointing does take more energy, I can move quickly enough to reduce my energy expenditure.  I do this by taking big steps and moving my axe down at the same time I'm moving one of my feet.  I also find it much easier to descend in a diagonal by walking in backwards zig-zags. This allows me to do a better job of kicking the edges of my boot into the slope and sawing a step.

3) What are your preferred snow conditions for backcountry travel?

I suppose it depends on the season. During the winter, I'm always looking for powder to ski.  In the spring, I'm still hoping for powder, but if there isn't any, I love kicking steps up steep slopes, and then hanging out for a while until the snow softens just enough so I can carve turns down.  In the summer, I'll take whatever snow I can get.  Once the sun cups are too big for real skiing, I'll boot ski and glissade whenever possible.

Learn more by visiting www.mountaineersbooks.com and Mike’s science outreach site, www.observantnaturalist.org.

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