Post by @andrewbriscoe@mastodon.social

2026-07-06 13:23 UTC

On the way back to camp I slipped while crossing a steep slope. I was too lazy to put my micro spikes on. It was scary how quickly I was sliding very fast down the mountain. Jamming my left elbow and hand into the soft snow slowed me enough to grab a small tree poking out. I don’t think death was imminent but I could have gotten hurt. Thankfully no injuries but granite boulders and trees were not too much further below where I stopped. Lessons were learned this time for sure.

Replies (4)

@ianRobinson@mastodon.social 2026-07-06 13:25

@andrewbriscoe@mastodon.social 😱

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@OutsideCasey@mastodon.social 2026-07-06 13:25

@andrewbriscoe@mastodon.social glad you’re still with us

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@EllenInEdmonton@yeg.bike 2026-07-06 13:46

@andrewbriscoe@mastodon.social Spikes are definitely a "before is better than after" choice. I had a broken wrist surgically repaired after failing to make the correct decision there. Fortunately for me, that happened in an urban area.

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@elperronegro@shmg.online 2026-07-06 14:32

@andrewbriscoe@mastodon.social glad you are ok. I used to practice stopping without axes nor poles. It involved turning into the slope (facing it) during the slide. Then using arms and legs to push up from that position. The push momentum and the feet digging into the slope used to bring me to a rather wobbly halt. Not sure if this is a proper technique but my mentor taught me this and it worked in some circumstances.

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