Climbing Tools: Snow Anchor / T-Slot ice axe

Through pull tests I've found buried ice axes in a "T" configuration to actually be very weak. They don't have much surface area. I'd rather rap of my buried skies or a picket any day.

The question that always sticks in my mind is if you should have to rap off an anchor like this, how do you recover your axe or picket? I remember seeing someone pull some kind of double rope trick, but don't remember how they did it.

I have never seen a rope trick that worked in retrieving the anchor. There are some quirky ice screw untwisting tricks that do not work. Situatiion dependent but you will have to leave something unless you have a ice pillar or honking big tree. This example is more for crevasse rescue then a actual rap anchor. If you have to you have to but kiss your ice axe good-bye first.

im confused, but thanx

been like that most my life

Great stuff!
That is a neat trick with the picket. I will be using that one from now on.
Keep it coming Mike.