UKC

Just a quick question what length ice axe is suitable for me i'm a little over six foot if it helps. thanks

Kye.

In reply to kyebrooks: sorry just realized it may help if i said what im going to be doing with it... mainly just winter walking with the hope of progression into something a little bit more technical and more climbing based.

In reply to kyebrooks: 60cm would be about right. I'm 6'2" and find 60cm is long enough to use walking and going up easy gullies and ridges but not so long it sticks out to the side when I do self-arrest practice.

Mike

In reply to kyebrooks: I'm 6 4" and have a 53cm Grivel Air Tech Axe which does me fine. I think the correct sizing is to make sure it drops just below your knee?

Although I'm sure someone else could verify this

In reply to kyebrooks: My advice would be to get a 50cm or 55cm at the most. You walk with walking poles, not an ice axe. You only need an axe on steep ground where anything longer is an encumbrance.

In reply to kyebrooks: When I was young it would be about a yard long. 55-60 cm about right. It does not have to reeach the ground when you are standing on the flat.

In reply to kyebrooks:

For a waling axe, I've alwasy like a length a that stops a couple of inches from the ground when I hold it properly with arms at my sides. Ideal length for tapping boots to clear balled up crampons or boots, fine for us as a third point of contact in a similar way to a walking pole and long enough to give a good swing if you need to cut steps (sometimes quicker for a short section than getting crampons out imo).

Cheers,

STuart

In reply to StuDoig: Have to agree with StuDoig, I know it is considered "old hat" to use a longer axe but mine is 65cm and I'm 5'10"

I guess like everything it's personal preference though.

In reply to kyebrooks:

I started with a big long thing but you get onto steeper ground they soon become cumbersome. I now use a 55cm job.

Something like this...

http://dmmclimbing.com/products/cirque/

In reply to kyebrooks:

Walking 65cm. Anything else 60. Some technical tools seem to only come around 55cm from the shops. Annoying.