On February 25, after climbing two-thirds of the way up Hillman’s Highway and not finding a ton of good snow, our group transitioned for an icy ski descent. There was a small ribbon of wind slab on the skiers’ right side of the slide. My two partners sideslipped the ice to a good point of safety. I tried the wind slab, but after a few untrustworthy turns, I bailed for the more predictable icy surface. However, on my second turn, I went down and started to slide.

I have practiced self-arresting on snow with a Whippet [self-arrest pole grip] and skis on, but not on ice. I tried to self-arrest with no luck. I slid for about 200 feet before managing to slow myself down in some soft snow piled on top of a rock. Unfortunately, as I came to a stop, I fell off the side of the rock, landing on my shoulder and dislocating it. My partners and I tried to reset the joint with no luck. We slung and secured my arm, I transitioned to crampons, and we self-rescued down to Pinkham Notch. (Source: Anonymous report to Mount Washington Avalanche Center.)

ANALYSIS

Once momentum is gained from an unchecked fall, it is doubtful that self-arrest ski poles or even a well-deployed ice axe would work on an icy and steep surface like the one encountered in this report. Skis also complicate self-arrest, because they may hinder a person from rolling into the best position. Downclimbing, rappelling, or sideslipping icy sections will be more secure than attempting to turn. (Sources: Mount Washington Avalanche Center and the Editors.)