UKC

Hi I'm looking at buying my first Ice axe nothing special just for safety general cutting steps etc. not ice climbing, I'm 6'0 and have been told I want a shorter rather an long axe.
I did a course last year on winter skills but can't remember the size I used any help welcome.

In reply to Icarus1:

According to Mountaineering The Freedom of the Hills.. "For general mountaineering, a 70cm ax is the best choice for the majority of climbers. This length offers the best compromise of balance and appropriate length for use on steep snow slopes".

In reply to Icarus1:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=572989

In reply to Icarus1:

For what it's worth, I'm 5'9. Used a 60cm axe for a long time until it fell off my pack whilst skiing. I then sized down to 55cm which is what I use now. If I had to chose again it would be an easy decision to go for 55cm again or maybe a bit shorter. 60cm was fine but a bit of a pain when bootpacking steeper snow (45-55 degrees). On slopes like this in soft snow it was notably more of a pain to lift a 60cm axe and plunge it than a 55cm. 55cm is also a bit lighter! So in your case I guess I'd recommend a 60cm; maybe 55cm if you've got a slight preference for something shorter. Wouldn't recommend going any longer than 60cm

In reply to broken spectre:

70cm, really? I'm no expert but that would be a beast of an axe!

In reply to gerryneely:

That's what it says (I'm no expert either)!

In reply to broken spectre:

The '70cm' thing comes from the old-fashioned advice that the 'optimum' length is that in which the spike just touches the (flat) ground when you're holding the pick end in your hand. My opinion: if you want a walking stick, get one - but that's not what an ice axe is for.

This has all been discussed here many times before, so a read of the above-mentioned thread, as well as a search of the Forums, might help.

For what it's worth, I wouldn't want anything over 50cm.

In reply to Icarus1:
Hi Icarus,

Go into a shop with lots of axes to try and hold them by the head. When held by the axe head from a straight arm by your side, the point at the bottom should be just at your big knobbly ankle bone.
It's not scientific, but it works. You'll probably find this distance from hand to ankle is about 50-55cm and that's the length you should get....anything else is a pain for a variety of reasons. FWIW, I would always use a 50cm max.

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

Thanks for the opinion I am planning on a shopping trip this weekend to try a few different types and lengths
Cheers

In reply to Mountain Llama:

Thanks for link good info
Cheers

In reply to Icarus1:

For moderate winter scrambling/hiking I use a straight shaft, 60cm which seems to work fine for me. I'm 6ft.

In reply to Icarus1:
For what it's worth, for anything non-technical I prefer using my 60cm axe, & I am 6'.

However, just as relevant for your purposes is the thickness and length and type of the pick. If arresting a slide is of importance, the pick type is significant. Back in the mists of time (mid '80's?), High magazine did a super test on the braking qualities of a number of axes. Unsurprisingly, I think the Clog Vulture was worst. Big fat curved picks were best.

Just a thought.

In reply to Icarus1:

Anything over 60cm is too long, and nobody I know uses anything longer than that. Somewhere between 50cm and 60cm is fine. I'm 5'11" and use a 55cm axe, although have used a 50cm in the past. Find 60cm a bit annoyingly long.

I too am a member of the 6ft-tall-60cm-walking-axe club. When going winter climbing, I find a 50cm technical axe rather annoyingly short for walk-ins where I feel the need to have an axe in my hand 'just in case' (but not annoying enough to want to take my walking axe just for that part of the day!)

In reply to Icarus1:
youtube.com/watch?v=bWrU4rltAvw&
This is my take on it. Or at least the way we do it in Canada. If Canadians don't know about ice axes who does?

In reply to HammondR:

Yep. There was clear evidence that pick thickness was key, which tended to mean forged heads rather than cheaper pressed steel affairs. An axe blade 6mm thick at the base will have twice as much stopping power as a 3mm one, important in stopping slides particularly in snow which isn't iron hard neve.

These days as a general walking axe I use a 60 cm one and I'm six foot three. Spike hangs at about mid calf level when dangling by my side.