Mountaineering Equipment

SNOW SAW
3-51. The snow saw is used to cut into ice and snow. It can be used in step cutting, in shelter construction,
for removing frozen obstacles, and for cutting snow stability test pits. The special tooth design of the snow
saw easily cuts into frozen snow and ice. The blade is a rigid aluminum alloy of high strength about 3 mm
thick and 38 cm long with a pointed end to facilitate entry on the forward stroke. The handle is either
wooden or plastic and is riveted to the blade for a length of about 50 centimeters. The blade should be
inspected for rust, cracks, warping, burrs, and missing or dull teeth. A file can repair most defects, and steel
wool can be rubbed on rusted areas. The handle should be inspected for cracks, bends, and stability. On
folding models, the hinge and nuts should be secure. If the saw is beyond repair, it should not be used.

SNOW SHOVEL
3-52. The snow shovel is used to cut and remove ice and snow. It can be used for avalanche rescue, shelter
construction, step cutting, and removing obstacles. The snow shovel is made of a special, lightweight
aluminum alloy. The handle should be telescopic, folding, or removable to be compact when not in use.
The shovel should have a flat or rounded bottom and be of strong construction. The shovel should be
inspected for cracks, bends, rust, and burrs. A file and steel wool can remove rust and put an edge on the
blade of the shovel. The handle should be inspected for cracks, bends, and stability. If the shovel is beyond
repair, it should be turned in.

WANDS
3-53. Wands are used to identify routes, crevasses, snow-bridges, caches, and turns on snow and glaciers.
Spacing of wands depends on the number of turns, number of hazards identified, weather conditions (and
visibility), and number of teams in the climbing party. Carrying too many wands is better than not having
enough if they become lost. Wands are 1 to 1.25 meters long and made of lightweight bamboo or plastic
shafts pointed on one end with a plastic or nylon flag (bright enough in color to see at a distance) attached
to the other end. The shafts should be inspected for cracks, bends, and deformities. The flag should be
inspected for tears, frays, security to the shaft, fading, and discoloration. If any defects are discovered, the
wands should be replaced.

AVALANCHE RESCUE EQUIPMENT
3-54. Avalanche rescue equipment (Figure 3-29) includes the following:

Avalanche Probe
3-55. Although ski poles may be used as an emergency probe when searching for a victim in an avalanche,
commercially manufactured probes are better for a thorough search. They are 9-mm thick shafts made of an
aluminum alloy, which can be joined to probe up to 360 centimeters. The shafts must be strong enough to
probe through avalanche debris. Some manufacturers of ski poles design poles that are telescopic and mate
with other poles to create an avalanche probe.

Avalanche Transceivers
3-56. These are small, compact radios used to identify avalanche burial sites. They transmit
electromagnetic signals that are picked up by another transceiver on the receive mode.

26 July 2012

TC 3-97.61

3-25