Best ice axe for ski touring reddit. I’m 6’2”, would prefer it to be hydration system compatible. But i'm on the hunt for somebody more hybrid, meaning something that can be used for glacier travel and technical mountaineering in the Alps. Blue Ice Hummingbird Ice Axe: Tried it before, liked it besides the price CAMP Corsa Ice Axe: seems like the light weight axe most people have CAMP Corsa Nanotech: Seems like it's slightly more aggresive and a bit heavier. Also, touring gear is designed to be lightweight and therefore is less durable so I wouldn't recommend pounding the resorts in your touring gear day after day after day, but a handful of times a year is probably fine. The traditional pick works best for self-arrest. I've got a Blue Ice, Bluebird, at 54cm, that has a very nice, solid head. I swapped to the sumtec from my BD Raven which is a very nice ergonomically old school axe because the pick didn’t really work for actual ice. One thing to keep in mind is that your ice axe will most likely be on your backpack more than your hand. Hard to explain but you just can’t swing it like an ice axe, or get it to bite into snow in a way you could put your weight on. The ability to put on without removing skis is a requirement. The included TRIGREST pommel can be adjusted without tools and makes for secure tooling in the middle dagger and traction positions. Walking steep where you need it with an 80cm axe will be like stocking the top of a shelf. My only concern with most of these axes is slipperiness. Make sure it has a lot of adjustability to fit on when you have few layers or many. I have seen there is a wide variety of ice axes, mainly I assume I am interested in a more general purpose one such as the Petzl Summit or the BD Raven Grip. But, I wouldn’t want to carry any ice tools for ski touring because they’re heavy - what do you want to do with a single ice tool while touring? I'm currently looking at getting a new ice axe, right now I have the Petzl Summit. Most routes involve a lot more trekking where ski poles are handy and you only need an ice axe when the terrain gets steeper. Ice axe isn't something I use lots ski touring - but when I do need it I am always glad I have packed it. As such, don’t fall into the trap of getting a “cane”. Get an ice axe that goes to around the bottom of your Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now Best one-stop Ice Axe for occasional ski mountaineering and everything else ski touring? Loops for ice clippers are nice. It has a straight shaft, made of anodised aluminium tubing, and the slightest of curves in the head. I have the 30L, comes with A frame, side or diagonal ski carry options; separate avy compartment, removable frame and ice pick attachment points. it’s really bad for getting over cornices etc. For sure just bring a ski mountaineering ice axe. ^ Ice Axe (+ crampons) for haute route / glacier travel is good idea. Any light axe is going to struggle when you have to swing it, dig with it Reverse curve picks are designed for sustained climbing on steep ice. This is to say that I will be using an ice axe for both climbing steep slopes and as a hiking pole. Petzl Ride: Weird hybrid where I think most people just get the Gully so they can ice climb. com Aug 19, 2020 · It is the best swinging of the three lighter axes in this review by far, and perfectly bridges the real estate between minimalist axes and alpine climbing tools. No, they won't ski quite as well as dedicated alpine gear. Ultralight yet tough ice axe: Purpose-built for ski mountaineering: A superlight axe made even lighter for racers and gram-counters: Purpose-built for technical mountaineering and steep skiing: Technical performance at a friendly price: One of the lightest ice axes in the world: Light and versatile mountaineering axe: Supreme combo of Take a rather short axe especially for skimo. 60 to 70cm would be a winter walking axe. Not sure what else. The reverse curve makes the pick easier to remove from hard ice. Petzl gully or Sumtec. However, I have seen that some of them have a slight curvature and some don't. . Hi all, looking for a bit of advice, I’m about to venture into the backcountry for the first of what I hope is many more. Yes, you can use touring gear on groomed snow. Stopping a slip becoming a fall is the best way to keep yourself safe. I put a gob of sno-seal on the gloves I'm going to use, and work it into the palms of my gloves, and onto the axe shaft. Consider one with a rather technical pick. For ice axe, I use the CAMP Corsa Alpine for my ski mountaineering and am very happy with it. See full list on outdoorgearlab. Blue ice's kume is the best pack I've used by far. Ice and mixed go well together and I’d recommend buying Quarks (I’m a broken record on that) in addition to your nomics. 100% agree with this. Haven't used it yet. Dec 14, 2022 · Maybe get a shorter one. We are being guided on a 3 day 2 night European hut tour and I’m looking for a 35-40l pack which can carry skis, ice axe, avo gear, crampons etc. They're not as well known as some other brands but their features are very well thought out. Most people aren’t doing sustained ice climbing on lines that they want to ski down. The DMM Spire is a lightweight ice axe that is well suited for winter walking and ski touring, with potential to branch into more demanding winter mountaineering days. This is not so much for pure ice climbing, but I would love to be able too strike the ice if I end up meeting it on a climb. Whippets are very specifically for self arrest when skiing in terrain where you might not be able to stop yourself if r/Ultralight is the largest online Ultralight Backcountry Backpacking community! This sub is about overnight backcountry backpacking, with a focus on moving efficiently, packing light, generally aiming at a sub 10 pound base weight, and following LNT principles. Non sketchy but would like a bit of a nicer hold while climbing - whippet Sketchy to point of needing one tool - ice axe Pretty sketchy with one tool - ice axe and whippet Two tools required - steep to near vertical ice Remember ice axe = boot crampons and a helmet. So, I would recommend the Falk or similar for climbs that are ~50 degrees or less and are likely to only require a single axe.