How To Travel on a Glacier with Xavier De Le Rue | How To Xv

It is easy to feel safe on glaciers on the nice gentle slopes of a glacier, but just below the surface lie potentially fatal traps.
In this episode of How To Xv I go through travelling on a glacier, from the gear I take with me, to the steps I take to be safe, from roping up to keeping a safe distance from others and more.
Glaciers are stunning and travelling across them is awe-inspiring and an adventure in itself, just want to make sure that it remains on the “fun” side of adventure.
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Edit by: Tim Burgess
Motion Graphics by: FX Pergola.
Thanks to: Swatch, Smith, Rossignol & Crosscall.

[@nicolastapia1]

Sharing and spreading knowledge and Backcountry education. That’s the way to do it! Thanks a lot!!!

[@emil6714]

I am shocked that this channel is so unpopular. Great content . Keep those videos coming Xavier !!! Thank you

[@HOWTOXV]

thx! share them with your friends!

[@andalpina]

C'est génial, Xavier, merci beaucoup de nous avoir enseigné ce sorte de choses.

[@beneng8003]

As always great tips for the backcountry! Keep up the good work and stay safe😁

[@JohnnyIDive37]

very well explained, thank you!

[@E_Clampus_Vitus]

When tying into the middle of a rope, use the butterfly knot instead. It stresses the rope less than other knots 🪢

[@Shred1904]

Enjoying these videos dude!!! Hopefully you can upload an adventure vlog someday!

[@bobbobi6350]

Yessssssssssss , duely noted sensei

[@1jameskirkby]

Really inspiring Xavier. Booking onto practical courses to safely expand my back country journey. Your videos are really helpful. Thank you

[@HOWTOXV]

Thanks James, that means a lot and great you have been on practical courses, it makes all the difference. Xv

[@TheMrSatt]

Thanks)

[@lucaborroni7663]

This videos are a good introduction to backcountry travel and safety and they are usually pretty well made. This particular video, however, is under the average in terms of quality. I happened to watch this video with Italian subtitles enabled (Italian is, in fact, my mother tongue) and I horrified when we came down to the more technical details of glacier travel. An “ice screw” has been translated as “ice screwdriver”, a T-Block has become a “T-anchor”, a “sling” a “belt”... It is apparent that whoever translated this video into Italian has no understanding of mountain matters. I believe that, being this video aimed at beginners, there should be a scrutiny of the final footage or subtitles by someone who does know his stuff. Lastly, glacier skills are a complex and challenging part of being a mountaineer, ski-mountaineer or freerider. In my humble opinion this video portrays glacier travelling as something easier and less dangerous than it actually is. Many technical items have been shown but none of them have been talked about properly: are we confident that a beginner won’t just think “oh, got the kit, I’m good to go”?

[@HOWTOXV]

HI Luca, Thank you for your message, it is always good to have feedback. We work with an Italian translator who is knowledgable in the mountains, but not in high alpine or glacier travel and unfortunately we don't have the level of Italian to check this, we try to do what we can to make the series as accessible as possible to everyone and open it up to a number of different languages - but hard to get all 8 languages correct each time. If you are happy to pass on the correct translation of ice screw, T-Block and sling we would love to correct them. I am sorry that you feel that this is far too basic, I agree there is indeed a huge amount of knowledge required for travelling on a glacier, my goal with the series is to open up learning for people, to pass on my knowledge of what I do and try to do it in a manner that is relatively easy for people to consume, ultimately I think a glacier travel episode should be about 2 days to start to get across the relevant information! But I hope with the episode that people will have a basic understanding of what to watch out for and the minimum kit required, as in my experience people don't even have that - see the Vallee Blanche in Chamonix... I hope that people won't just think "oh we are good to go, I have a harness and an ice screw" but will think "Oh wow, there is a lot more than I realised to travelling on a glacier, and I have more to learn, but at least I have a basic outline and the knowledge to ask relevant questions". Many thanks again for your comments and if you are happy to pass on the correct translations I would greatly appreciate it. Xv

[@lucaborroni7663]

HOW TO XV Hello Xavier, thanks for getting back to me. I really appreciate your willingness to fix the subtitles. It shows that the videos are genuine and that there is someone actually ready to answer our feedback. The correct translation for “ice screw” is “vite da ghiaccio”, “slings” becomes “fettucce” or “anelli di fettuccia”. Tibloc remains Tibloc (since it’s the name of the Petzl product) or could be called “bloccante”, but Tibloc is a popular product and I wouldn’t change it. The pulley (which is messed up as well) is also well known by its commercial name, Micro Traxion (although I believe you are showing the bigger version, still from Petzl, the Pro Traxion). To cut a long story short, you may call it “carrucola bloccante”, which means “blocking pulley” and is a perfectly good, technical term. Unluckily , even “locking carabiners” was poorly translated: the correct form is “moschettoni a ghiera”. Going on in the video, in the part about the kiwi coils, I have found other errors. The most striking, worth correcting are: “slack” should be “lasco” and not “strattone” (“tug”/“pull”); “Anchor” should be “ancoraggio” (in the current version it means the anchor of a boat). These are the major mistakes I believe are worth mentioning. I know, it’s a pain in the ass, but the meaning is really twisted in the current version of subtitles. I would happily assist you with the translation if you and your team happened to need a hand. As for the length of the video and how deep into the technical details you went, I totally understand: the “cut” of this series isn’t that of a technical course nor would that be appetibile to the bigger audience. You were spot on on giving a broad introduction to the magic of glacier travelling. Is it perfect under every point of view? No. Is it good enough? Yep, absolutely! Thanks for your dedication to sharing the journey of a freerider and I look forward to watching another episode! Please feel welcome to ask for a review of the subtitles for the episodes to come. Cheers and lots of powder, Luca (from the Italian side of the Matterhorn).

[@hobmarg]

@@HOWTOXV I think most people not familiar with glacier travel will hopefully watch this and realize "I need to study a lot or hire a guide".

[@HOWTOXV]

Hi Luca, Great thank you so much for those subtitles, we will go about changing them and I will forward the information on to our translator as we have "Crevasse rescue" coming out in a couple of weeks and I think there are going to be a lot of technical terms, it would be a pleasure to have you check them over and make sure that we get everything right... the edit was meant to be done for this Wednesday but we are struggling to get it really clear - there is a lot of information, so still in the editing room for now! Thank you so much for spending the time going through the subtitles, that is awesome. Xavier

[@HOWTOXV]

Hey Luca - can you send an email to [e-mail] and we could send you a link to the Crevasse rescue edit to check the subtitles when it is ready? If you are happy to have a look? Thanks Xv

[@franceiroca]

Petite question concernant le petzl altitude... tu le portes au niveau de la ceinture ou au-dessus des crêtes iliaques? je viens d'en acheter un en suivant la nomenclature Petzl pour la taille... mais porté au dessus des crêtes iliaques il est inconfortable, pour faire passer le pontet dans la ceinture, on dirait qu'il n'est pas assez long... et du coup ça tire la ceinture vers le bas... d'ailleurs quand je le porte au dessus des crêtes iliaques, les portes matos sont recouvert par les sangles de mon sac à dos... ce qui n'est pas le cas si je met le baudard sur les crêtes iliaques directement au niveau de la ceinture. Merci d'avance.

[@gonzaloblascosoro8811]

Hi Xavier, it would be so cool when you also upload a "rescueing from crevasses" video. I really appreciate the labor of educating backcountry skiers you are doing with this series of videos, but I see a bit pointless to teach people how to tie yourself to a rope on a glacier without explaining how to rescue someone in case of accident! Building an anchor on ice or snow and transfering the weight of your partner to it are as fundamental as using the rope. Thanks for your amazing work!

[@HOWTOXV]

Hi Gonzalo, Thanks for your message, it is the episode we had planned for Wednesday, as agree that having the gear but then not being able to get someone out of a crevasse when shit hits the fan ain't much good. The episode is proving difficult to edit and really get the information across, so it won't be ready for this Wednesday, but hopefully we will have it on the 27th in a clear and concise manner... which basically shows - everyone should practice crevasse rescue and not just know the theory! As even filming it in a controlled environment was pretty stressful... Thanks for your comment - hope you will like the episode when it comes out. Xv

[@SebHaarfagre]

@@HOWTOXV _everyone should practice crevasse rescue and not just know the theory!_ Thank you, I think this should be very harshly pointed out in any future video(s) :) Many people watching KZbin (especially younger people) think they know everything because they saw a 5 min. summary somewhere... Also the walking itself on large glaciers and snow bridge crossing is something else entirely. When walking in a team you should not just walk/ski casually across. Then there's the knots, the different terrains (where it breaks and below especially), choosing paths and so on. Edit: And changing position in a team of course and the buddy saving already mentioned by OP. Courses indeed are important, and practice

[@seantomei3272]

Hi Xavier. Love these how to vids. What emergency beacon are you using (orange on your shoulder strap)? Thank you.

[@HOWTOXV]

Hey Sean, It is the Resero Whistle, it should be released any day now - I will put something up on my social media as soon as it is. Cheers XV

[@seantomei3272]

@@HOWTOXV great thank you! Looks like some great work on that product.

[@cal_vince]

Hey Xavier! What size backpack would you recommend for a day tour of splitboarding? Do you think 26L is enough, when not having to climb with a lot of extra mountaineering gear?

[@HOWTOXV]

Hey Vince, I like to have anything between a 20L and a 30L - so 26L sounds perfect, I like them quiet long and narrow, that way I can get poles and ice axes inside so they are not hanging off and banging. Cheers Xv

[@MrZipsick]

What jacket are you using? Looks dope! Awesome videos!

[@HOWTOXV]

its the new brigandine from the north face. coming out next year though

[@FaithandActiondotnet]

Really great safety videos, top notch. Most North American riders, even Alaskans, don't really know this stuff.

[@grzegorzp6335]

What rope’s diameter do you recommend to use on glaciers? How long ice screw do you recomend?

[@HOWTOXV]

6 millemeters I usually take a short one on a basic glacier day unless I need to do some abalakov and feel more out there without any possible rescue then I’ll take at least one long one. Xv

[@rdtskjegg1153]

What are you wearing in the video?

[@hoganwarlock1430]

Anyone know what bindings those are at 2:06? I've never seen a system like that!!

[@HOWTOXV]

Sam is using the CAST system I think: casttouring.com Where you can exchange your bindings, so that you can have stronger bindings for the way down... I am no expert, but you can check out the website. XV

[@SebHaarfagre]

Good video and well presented... However I would like to hear a sharp recommendation on taking an actual course, preferably 1-2 weeks, assuming you have good prior knowledge. After all, this video didn't even touch on the practicals, or buddy saving and other measures and techniques (like when crossing a snow bridge Edit: or even walking in general, WITH POLES). Also, for all the viewers, the glacier in the video is even a quite small one. Puts some perspective on things...

[@HOWTOXV]

Hi. Thanks Seb - definitely agree that a 1-2 week course is a great idea, and like you say this is a very rough outline of glacier travel to give people an idea of what they need to know before heading out onto glaciated zones and that it needs to be taken seriously. My goal is to inspire people to go out and learn more in order to safely access the mountains. Thanks for your feedback. Xv

[@SebHaarfagre]

@@HOWTOXV Thank you for the response and clarification! 😃 That is a noble thing to do, and I appreciate the urge to inspire and teach people more. Keep up the great work (and don't forget to give people some perspectives along the way) ^^ Love from Norway

[@leogoodwin1279]

I like your clear & informative videos Xavier 👍 but I’m a bit worried that this one might encourage noobs to venture out on glaciers without thorough training and practice. crevasses are dangerous & unpredictable. extraction (z-pulley) is damn difficult even when set up perfectly and has to be learnt from an expert & practised. descending a glacier is also very risky since you’re usually unroped. you won’t necessarily know where the crevasses are unless you‘ve seen the glacier during the summer - and even still, new crevasses can open, especially now with global temperatures making glaciers melt faster. a buddy on a ski touring trip I was on stopped during the descent on a snow bridge which collapsed. it was a very large crevasse (100m) and had opened up on a well-frequented ski descent. the snow bridge gave no clue to its existence. he broke his neck and died and was then buried under the snow which came down with him. r.i.p. it was a difficult job to recover his body. take care out there everyone and get proper training if you want to explore glaciers.

[@xavierdelerue537]

You are right that it's super tricky and hard for people to realise that it is super experienced level here and even so that it requires a ton of practice. sorry about hearing about your friend. crevasses are nasty and super unpredictable... glaciers are alive !

[@enyfd]

6mm for glacier travel ? Is this common ?

[@SebHaarfagre]

I am so sorry to hear that. I would also like to thank you for offering your perspective; it is much needed on videos like this I think. I'm a Norwegian, skied since I was 2-3, studied Outdoor/mountaineering for 3 years and had the honour to do a 2 week intensive glacier course (1+1 theory and practice) at Smørstabbreen, followed by 2 weeks travelling/hiking in a team in our own planned route. Here's a Google map link to the glacier: www.google.no/maps/place/Smørstabbrean/@61.5365638,8.1247013,1209m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x4615a0cdeb7dce99:0x500b852a63d51546!2sSmørstabbrean!3b1!8m2!3d61.5414493!4d8.1064216!3m4!1s0x4615a0cdeb7dce99:0x500b852a63d51546!8m2!3d61.5414493!4d8.1064216 It's a bit weird looking because it has obviously been heavy snowfalls during what appears to be early spring, followed by heavy winds, as shown on the dunes further down, the barren peaks, and as such all the cracks have been mostly filled and are hard to see. But if you look at the "wrinkles" on the linked location; those are all crevasses or what you call it in English, covered by some layer of snow (also easily recognizeable by colouration by the way). Each one of those can be 40m straight down and go even longer down in broken paths, the free fall is less than half of it in many cases. Some are 4-5 or more across at the widest. This is where the glacier breaks, by the way. Or how to put it in English... it bends; this is where the huge cracks are, the picteresque stuff is much further down (at the bottom) and where bits will fall off during summer. I've heard stories about even Norwegians (tourists almost exclusively are the ones to die in Norwegian wilderness, don't know exceptions) skiing here and realizing what they did afterwards. They should be thankful to be alive... Mother nature should be heavily respected, but as a married couple you can learn to live with each other in a smooth fashion. :) Most people settle for just a "fling" or a summer romance, or non-married relationship...

[@SebHaarfagre]

Sorry, my whole point was, I got to lead a team across the worst part, an hour or so. One of the team members actually stepped through and fell through one of the snow bridges. Of course, it was not a problem since everyone did what they were supposed to do. But you feel quite small in these environments and you learn to respect it. Had a bit of adrenaline for many parts of the journey. The cracks were very visible, and (as shown on the map) they went along the mountainside /slightly diagonal where we had to cross, walking around (from west to east, around the north of the easternmost summit, then around east and upwards southwest/west). So you basically walk there, every step carefully, always looking at the colours, and at the terrain, looking for a path over a snow bridge (can't walk around the entire thing), find one that is feasible, then be the first one to cross, pitch blackness as far as you can see on both sides of the bridge.

[@XPrincess30]

is 30 meters really enough rope?

[@HOWTOXV]

It depends how many people you are - you need 8-10 meters between each person for travel - so generally that should be ok unless you are in a larger group. Thanks Xv

[@rahansk8200]

Un glacier, c'est avec des pros de la montagne.

[@HOWTOXV]

c'est clair dans l'absolu! apres culture générale ca peut faire du bien, et si ton guide tombe dans la crevasse ou qu'il faut l'aider a sortir un de tes potes qui est dans le meme groupe ca ne fait pas de mal d'avoir des connaissances de base...

[@filimoniwe]

didn't anyone notice that he put his harness on the wrong way?))) check out his left leg check the details before you post stuff Xav !!! ;)

[@leogoodwin1279]

filimonchik the front leg loops on the Petzl Altitude are just to keep the harness sitting correctly and don’t bear any weight (hence the plastic clips) so no biggie if they have an extra twist .. except yeah it doesn’t look so slick ; )

[@filimoniwe]

@@leogoodwin1279 in case of a big fall, especially with a factor 2, it will make a huge difference my friend! and even if u are not expecting anything to happen, there are things in safety which simply must be done correctly otherwise - why wear a harness? ;)

[@leogoodwin1279]

filimonchik MAXIMUM fall factor in a crevasse fall will be around 0.5 itrsonline.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SmithBlaine2005_ITRSPaper.pdf the front leg loop retainers (the grey ones) are not required for strength in the Petzl Altitude harness .. if they were, the plastic clips which secure them would be a ridiculous design flaw

[@xavierdelerue537]

Thanks @@leogoodwin1279 you are ace.... Fili you are right i should be careful but if you want to come filming with us one day you will realise that there are many many details that are easy to miss and that are hard zap reshoot after you have noticed them

[@Nick-fn9gu]

Love the content! Absolutely hate the music in the background... He's giving advice that can save your life, meanwhile there's goofy/comedic music playing.

[@HOWTOXV]

Ha thanks Nick - get that it is a unique music selection, although the subject is serious I also don't want to be a know it all, with the music choice I hope to show that I am just passing on my knowledge and tips and that learning can still be "fun" - for want of a better word, but if you learn about all the safety measures I go through in a non-critical situation you can still have an excellent day out... but I also get that clown music can be grating! Cheers Xv

[@gonzalosevilla9140]

I love the music 😅

[@john26razor340]

Great video. The jazz music was unnecessary (distracting).