Ice axe self-arrest practice on Willey's Slide
- Leaders
- Bjorn Poonen (B coC), Chrissy Glover (A coC), Mark Simon (coB I)
- WIMP
- Theresa Cloutier
- Program
- Winter (outside IAP)
- Type
- Hiking
- Terrain level
- B
- Trip date
- Sunday, December 21st, 2025
- Difficulty rating
- L2 (easy) + slidey
- Prerequisites
- Attended winter safety lectures in 2025. Helmet and eye protection (goggles or impact-rated glasses).
Do you enjoy sliding down snow? Do you prefer to stop sliding before falling off a mountain? Then this trip is for you!
We'll be practicing self-arrest techniques using an ice axe at the base of Willey's Slide in Crawford Notch, NH (White Mt region). The hike up to the base of Willey's Slide is less than a mile each way, but pretty steep. Once there, we'll assess conditions, discuss technique, and start sliding + stopping! If we find the snowpack to be insufficient, or if we have extra time after practicing self-arrest, we'll hike the nearby (and incredibly scenic) Mt Willard instead, a 3.2-mile hike with 900ft of elevation gain.
There will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting Thursday at 7pm in the student center + on Zoom.
We'll depart Cambridge Sunday morning and stop for a quick breakfast near the trailhead. If you can drive your own car or are willing to drive a rental car, edit the lottery preferences on your MITOC profile to show this. Expected car cost per person is $25-40; if you are an MIT undergrad, this cost can be reimbursed.
Signup
- Algorithm
- first-come, first-serve
- Maximum participants
- 7
- Signups opened at
- Dec. 15, 2025, 8:48 p.m.
- Signups closed at
- Dec. 18, 2025, 9 a.m.
- Notes
- When did you last attend MITOC winter safety lectures?
- If you have done a winter hike before, describe it (length and elevation gain, and how long ago if you remember).
- Which of these have you used before: microspikes, crampons, ice axe?
- Have you practiced self-arrest before?