Also known as deadman anchors, snow anchors are commonly used by mountain climbers and skiers to repel down to people who need rescuing or accessing hard to get to lines. The National Ski and Mountaineering School of Chamonix (ENSA) decided to test out all types of improvised anchors to determine just how strong they are.

After running tests on snow-stakes, ice-axes, skis, ski poles, coke bottles…etc, they discovered the that the angle at which a deadman is placed, significantly affects its holding power. Keep that in mind the next time you use a snow anchor and share this around with anyone who relies on them while out in the backcountry.