Some fun pictures from the Mazamas' Basic Climbing Education Program snow practice sessions near Mount Hood. I'm assisting with these classes as a climb instructor.

 
This picture doesn't make much sense by itself.. we're attached to a rope team, ascending a slope, someone has fallen (pretended to fall by throwing himself down the slope) so we all immediately fall to the ground and plant in our ice axes, into the snow, to try and stop the fall.

 

In motion: A head-first, backwards ice axe arrest down a snow slope, going fast. I plant the axe to my right and my legs will swing around counter-clockwise so I can complete the stop.

 
Glissading..using the ice axe as a brake to my left. Even though it looks like I'm just sitting there, I'm actualy sliding down the hill.

 

Hanging from the ceiling after prusking the rope (ascending the rope with knots called "prusik" knots.. when weighted they don't move and you can put all your weight on to them. When non-weighted they move easily up and down the rope):