[jgorris]

>>> The team discovered two ice axes, some rope and a sleeping bag in the cave. Not good. You never want to ditch your ice axe that high up on the mountain. The other two could've cut the rope and kept the third axe with the idea of roped glissade and a single axe to self-arrest but that is a dubious idea to my mind. Why not keep both axes?? I'd cetainly never give up my axe at that point.

[Kaslin]

It is possible that they left the two axes and the rope I thought that they left them on purpose for the rescuers to give them some sign. However when the rescue team found the cave empty, I feared that this did not look good.

It is possible that the hiker who left the sleeping bag behind could not get back into the cave

[jgorris]

Why not keep both axes?? I'd cetainly never give up my axe at that point.

Well I guess they could've been climbing with two axes each and the only gear ditched belonged to the guy who stayed behind in the cave. Unclear from this report exactly what kind of axes were found, etc. For steeper ice routes, it is common to use two axes.

I once rode out a storm in a cave, but we were very well provisioned and rescue was not an option. That adventure is here: St Elias

[Musket]

It's very simple:<i>your quoted text pasted here</i><p> produces Quoted Italic with a paragraph break.

Just trying to help.:-)