Using the adze as a pick

This is now the second time I've seen someone doing this dumb shit on the internet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKnV-StVn8I 

I'm having a hard time understanding the reasoning here. Like, clearly the snow is firm enough for good pick sticks, so is it too firm for using the axe as a cane, and not steep enough for low dagger or anchor position?

Nolan Yahok wrote:

Fixed that for ya

If you add a space after the link it'll work as a hyperlink

thanks, fixed

Martin Brzozowski wrote:

This is now the second time I've seen someone doing this dumb shit on the internet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKnV-StVn8I 

Probably not best example, but on occasion I have used my adze as a pick. I have even slammed the head in side ways. So no, not someone doing dumb shit in mountains. 

As opposed to someone doing this dumb shit on the internet like making posts saying something is dumb shit but is actually not.

Allen Sanderson wrote:

Probably not best example, but on occasion I have used my adze as a pick. I have even slammed the head in side ways. So no, not someone doing dumb shit in mountains. 

As opposed to someone doing this dumb shit on the internet like making posts saying something is dumb shit but is actually not.

Had to delete last post since I hit the post limit. Anyway I just don't understand what the benefit here is. It seems like a great way to get a pick to the face. I've never seen anybody else use an adze this way other than in a photo I saw of a clearly inexperienced person. Obviously you can us the adze in this way, but it seems unsafe and I was never taught that this was a proper use for an adze and just by judgement it seems wrong. I was going to add to my original post if I was dumb and missing something, but it just seems dumb. There are other points in the video where he is showing inexperience on snow as well, otherwise I may have phrased this post differently. It just seems like it adds extra risk with barely any clear gains, which is why it seems dumb. My main concern here is people who are new to climbing will watch this and try and replicate this technique thinking it is common practice, take a fall, and hurt themselves

You do not see the benefit because you lack the experience of the conditions of where it potentially has a benefit. Your lack of experience is also evident by immediately calling the technique dumb. As I said, the video is not the best example and certainly worth questioning the person's technique. But there are times when using the adze as a pick is warranted. Not many times but one example is with rime ice which can require some finesse.

Allen Sanderson wrote:

You do not see the benefit because you lack the experience of the conditions of where it potentially has a benefit. Your lack of experience is also evident by immediately calling the technique dumb. As I said, the video is not the best example and certainly worth questioning the person's technique. But there are times when using the adze as a pick is warranted. Not many times but one example is with rime ice which can require some finesse.

No, I am not very experienced, and I'm not trying to say that I am. But is appears that this technique is not warranted within the context of which he is using it in the video, and is an unnecessary application of this technique. If only I could find the first photo I came across, you will clearly see where I am coming from (smearing the snow in tennis shoes using the adze in piolet traction on a low angle slope with great snow).

As an inexperienced person who likes to learn, could you please share other examples of where this might be helpful?

Martin Brzozowski wrote:

As an inexperienced person who likes to learn, could you please share other examples of where this might be helpful?

The “technique” of using the adze to climb with is basically when you have no other option. I’ve done it on weird snow/rhyme chimeras, and none of those times did I feel happy or secure, and I probably should have backed off before ever getting there. I use quotes because this is not really a technique per se, at some point you’ll inevitably find yourself climbing with whatever gets the job done- adze, pickets, shovels, stuff sacks. 

Grivel makes a product for those who seek out such climbing. AFAIK, this sort of modified pick is pretty common in Patagonia.

It’s pretty clear in the original video that the fellow is not using his ice axe in a “standard” method. Maybe he doesn’t know. Maybe he knows and doesn’t care. Either way, whatever. 

Seems to me the guy in the vid knows what he is doing. I wasn't there and won't judge his technique.

Seems like his tool is really just for balance...if his feet blew, a pick looks like it would shear though that stiff snow.

Like Allen, I've used my adze in less-than-robust ice conditions.  

I've also used a picket a few times instead of an ice axe....

It all depends on the ice and hard snow conditions, doesn't that? If the ice is soft enough, using the adze can be not just preferable, it can be the only way to safeguard upward movement. There is absolutely time and use for the adze. Both Allen and Brian are correct about the use. Conditions would dictate it. 

Seemed to me the guy was changing his axe and technique based on snow conditions as he found them.  No real issue there that I saw.

Personally, I think he’s merely guilty of posting a boring AF video.