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An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineers both in the ascent and descent of routes that involve frozen conditions with snow and/or ice. An ice axe can be held and employed in a number of different ways, depending on the terrain encountered. In its simplest role, the ice axe is used like a walking stick in the uphill hand, the mountaineer holding the head in the center, with the pick pointing to the rear. It can also be buried pick down, the rope tied around the shaft to form a secure anchor on which to bring up a second climber, or buried vertically to form a stomp belay. The adze is used to cut footsteps (sometimes known as pigeon holes), as well as scoop seats in the hillside and trenches to bury an ice axe belay. The long-handled alpenstock was a predecessor to the modern ice axe. The ice axe bears similarity in design to a medieval war hammer. An ice axe is not only used as an aid to climbing, but also as a means of self-arrest in the event of a downhill slip. A self-arrest is a mountaineering maneuver in which a climber who has fallen and is sliding down a snow or ice slope stops the slide with only his or her ice axe and/or crampons, and without the use of a rope or other belay system. Most ice axes meet design and manufacturing standards of organizations such as the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA) or European Committee for Standardization. There are two classifications of ice axe, Basic and Technical. Basic ice axes are designed for use in snow conditions for general mountaineering, and are adequate for basic support and self-arrest. Technical ice axes, which may have curved shafts, are strong enough to be used for steep or vertical ice climbing and belaying. ==Components== An ice axe consists of at least five components: *Head — usually made of steel and featuring a pick and adze. A hole in the center is provided for attaching a wrist leash or carabiner. *Pick — the toothed pointed end of the head, typically slightly curved (aiding both in ergonomics and self-arrest). *Adze — the flat, wide end of the head used for chopping steps in hard snow and ice. * Hammer — the hammer is an alternative to the adze for those traveling in softer snow. it can be used as a more comfortable grip. it can also be used as a hammer. *Shaft — straight or slightly angled, typically wider front-to-back than side-to-side, flat on the sides and smoothly rounded on the ends. Traditional shafts were made of wood, but are now almost exclusively of lightweight metals (such as aluminum, titanium and steel alloys) or composites (including fiberglass, Kevlar or carbon filament). *Spike, or ferrule — a steel point at the base of the shaft used for balance and safety when the axe is held by its head in walking stick fashion. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ice axe」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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