I will look up on Ice Axe usage
You cannot learn by looking it up, or talking to a friend.
If you fall on snow and especially on ice, you have O.3 seconds to reflexively respond. Bad things happen fast. The only way to do that is with supervised practice on similar terrain. This must be done on the same steepness of slope and character, but with safe runout before you put your life on the line for real.
Harvey, what do you think about this group? This is a picture of them climbing up to Iceberg Lake on the Mountaineers Route. It sure looks to me like they are off-route -- climbing too high too soon, over the "seep" area rather than staying low and climbing the easier slot to the west.
If anyone slipped here, I don't think they would even have 0.3 second to respond!
From FB pictures posted here:
Mt. Whitney via Mountaineer's Route.
IdEaMaNi, fortunately there is nothing like this on the Main Mt. Whitney Trail.
