2023-02-04, 01:48 PM
I'd be guessing that anyone with crampons and a long rope would have some idea of what they were doing. An ice axe is really essential for arresting a fall, though. I learned a few years on a steep snow field in Colorado that once you are over the center of gravity (on the downhill side) of even a pair of poles, they are useless. I could not stop though managed to keep by speed down by digging heels into the soft snow, but if it were hard / crusty this would be tough. I don't know if an axe or an ice hand tool would be better for clawing one's way out of such a predicament. But I'm not sure I get the rope part actually - the main obstacle I'd be worried about on Telescope would be the big cornice at the end but a rope isn't going to be worth much for that.
Anyway, they were fortunate that they were in one of the few places that has decent cell service, unless they also had something like an InReach but tried the phone first.
Anyway, they were fortunate that they were in one of the few places that has decent cell service, unless they also had something like an InReach but tried the phone first.