UKC

Looking for advice on ice axes, to do everything from winter walking to Scottish mixed (asking allot I know). In an ideal world I’d have a longer general mountaineering axe for walking and easier angled terrain and a pair of ice tools for climbing but as that means shelling out for 3 shinny but expensive bits of kit I was after peoples thoughts on the best compromise, the options would appear to be either:

A mountaineering axe for walking and easy routes coupled with a shorter ice hammer for climbing.

Or

A pair of technical tools and use the adze singularly when 2 tools aren’t required, perhaps coupled with a trekking pole if walking to compensate for the lack of length.

Each has its disadvantages, a mountaineering axe pick won’t perform as well as the recurved pick of an ice tool for climbing but how much of a difference is there likely to be at the lower grades? Would pairing a 60cm axe with a 45cm hammer be awkward to use effectively?

Conversely a matched pair of ice tools would perform better for climbing but from waving a few around in the shops with ungloved hands the heads are less comfortable to hold but haven’t worked out if this becomes an issue when geared up. With the more aggressive picks on the ice tools and the shorter length would self arrest much more problematic?

Am leaning towards the later case but am interested in hearing the opinions of those who have more experience than me.

In reply to R Green: dmm flys strike me as a good allrounder but honestly Ur probs better off getting a decent pair to climb with (quarks ,vipers etc) and a cheap walking axe.

In reply to R Green:

Quarks.

What do you need the adze for?

In reply to ice.solo:
Just get two technical tools. Vipers, Cobras, Flys, etc... Look for more traditionally shaped tools (as opposed to something a fusion, nomic, anarchist...). If you need to self-arrest, they will do the job just fine. If you feel like you need something longer for balance, use a trekking pole.

if you think you really want a walking axe, pick up a cheap used one. Doesn't really matter which one - they will all work.

In reply to Graham: Would agree. Get proper tools for climbing, and then if you want to go walking, an axe like I reviewed here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/gear/review.php?id=3300 is relatively cheap (might find them for less than 60 on sale, or something similar 2nd hand) and is also useful for alpine approaches etc.

In reply to R Green:

1 x DMM Cirque and 2 x DMM Flys. Best compromise I reckon.

In reply to Darren09:

That's actually what I have. Ex gf also had a cirque and when we went winter climbing together we would use a fly and a cirque each. Not saying it's ideal, but it worked for us up to grade III Scottish mixed.

In reply to ice.solo: Chopping through the cornice in scotland, making a snow stance when there's no rock or ice in the bay under said cornice

In reply to MattG:

I'm starting to notice one thing about the Flys though...they don't seem to give very much clearance for your knuckles? I was at Dover the other day and nearly broke my first finger. A quick technique rememdy prevented the worst of it, but yeah just a thought.

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Agreed.

My fingers took a bashing in Scotland this year.
Think they can be adapted retrospectively though.

In reply to Darren09:

You can't mod a proper bend in the shaft. If you want knuckle clearance get a pair of quarks, vipers etc or if you want lots of knuckle clearance a pair of nomics. It must be said that a fair bit of that comes down to technique

In reply to Hannes:
adding a grip rest will solve most the issues with hitting knuckles. That and improving swing technique.

In reply to Hannes:



needlesports must be wrong then?!?

http://www.needlesports.com/Catalogue/Winter-Climbing-Equipment/Ice-Axes/Ic...

In reply to R Green: If you need to select between the option A and B, I would recommend going with the option B, i.e. get the technical ice tools, not the most radical ones, but clearly technical ones. Such Technical tools are just fine with self arrest and mountaineering in general, while traditional mountaineering axes really aren't that good for serious ice climbing... ...then there's a group of products that are kind of both, i.e. mountaineering axes with some of the features of technical ice tools.

Here's some links to check out the variety there is:
1. Technical ice tools: http://www.tribevine.com/quicksearch?open=true&limit=500&browse=1&a...
2. Classical ice axes: http://www.tribevine.com/quicksearch?open=true&limit=500&browse=1&a...
3. Some crossover tools: http://www.tribevine.com/products?open=true&ids=4541,49,2245&title=...