More snap is needed. With more snap, the ax sets. After the angled shelf I start to ache. Not in the legs or back as I might have expected, but in the hands. Experienced climbers utilize leg strength.
Novices tend to rely on the hands.
I'm pulling with my hands, and death-gripping the axes when setting a footfall. Now, all I can feel is hand pain. Mitch Kaplan Mitch Kaplan is a New Jersey-based writer who covers action sports, family travel, fitness and business topics. His work has appeared in Skiing , Snow Country , Family Circle , and numerous other publications. I may only be 50 or 60 feet up, but it's too much.