Mountaineering without the use of snow stakes

Ryan Marsters wrote:I've seen butterflies used but never used them on a glacier - how do they take the butterflies out in the event of a haul situation or ascending the rope?

The idea is that the front and back climbers carry most of the rope in coils, with a relatively short knotted section of rope between climbers. If it it's necessary to set up a haul or prussik there should still be enough un-knotted rope available to lower a loop to fallen climber.

Ah, sounds logical on the butterflies, thanks.

As per that 2 p crevasse fall video, I seem to recall it being a fabricated worst case scenario and not terribly realistic. Sure, those falls can happen but proper technique and application of skills would provide more mitigating factors than shown in the vid.

-Arresting with reverse curve picks in poor snow
-Sliding right off the lip (no rope cutting and friction to take the load)
-Short length of rope between the climbers
-Poor awareness and body position while crossing a wide crevasse
-No protection
-Edited video only showing the failures

video

Yippyyippychangchang wrote:I just use home made stakes. Alpine butterflys catch on the lip of the crevasse and prevent big falls. Try it, it works. These guides sound weird. They aren't like that here in NZ.

I saw someone else who had made their own and got me wondering why I paid so much for mine.

It seems a piece of angle aluminum from Home Depot ought to work just fine...

Stagg54 wrote: I saw someone else who had made their own and got me wondering why I paid so much for mine. It seems a piece of angle aluminum from Home Depot ought to work just fine...

Go for it if it looks and feels the same. My mate is an aircraft engineer and he has it at work. Seems to think its real strong.

The snow stake. Love hate relationship. Kinda sucks when you have to take two doesn't it.

Ospray packs. When they get old the straps disintegrate.

Stagg54 wrote: I saw someone else who had made their own and got me wondering why I paid so much for mine. It seems a piece of angle aluminum from Home Depot ought to work just fine...

Go for it if it looks and feels the same. My mate is an aircraft engineer and he has it at work. Seems to think its real strong.

The snow stake. Love hate relationship. Kinda sucks when you have to take two doesn't it.

Ospray packs. When they get old the straps disintegrate.