Mountaineering best ice axe climbing reddit. Get a non-technical ice axe.

Mountaineering best ice axe climbing reddit Modern packs have easy ice axe slings to carry them with. If I felt unsure at any time I’d feel fine turning around at any point. Would be cumbersome. I was wondering if you experienced folks ever used an Ice Tool instead of an Ice Axe for I just bought a set of used ice climbing axes/crampons just because Ice Climbing is what I have more of in the Midwest. Semi auto crampons are nice if you anticipate using them with a 3/4 shank boot (now or in the future) that's more suited for snow travel and rock scrambles than for ice climbing. Just Mountaineering, get any walking axe. There are many ways to safely learn the skills needed for basic mountaineering. 38L for summit attempts or day climbs with gear. If there was a clean way to secure it to oneself for mountaineering, without being an additional safety hazard and not getting the way, I'm sure it would be more prevalent. ), while other climbers I've met swear by them. It is suppose to be used in climbing on waterfalls and mixed climbing. At just 280 grams, it’s one of the lightest technical axes on the market, yet it still features a fully steel pick that delivers solid performance on steep snow, ice, and mixed terrain. Whatever long axe you can afford will serve you well. But Crampons and Ice axe would be the safest choice, especially if it’s too icy or too soft for spikes. Just use your imagination and move your body around the axe manually. I’d recommend looking at used, since many people buy long, straight axes and then realize they want something more aggressive. Buachaille Etive Beag and Mor are for example great and straightforward winter hikes without technical difficulties, as long as you stick to the main path. I'm climbing Kautz with Alpine Ascents in June and wanted some advice on ice tools. Everything they list should be UIAA certified. Don't overthink tools. Took about four hours. Makes plunging the axe easier as well. For snow climbs, the Petzl Summit Evo (or the BD Raven Pro, or similar) is a great option. 7; Weight (ounces): 16. It will work better I plan to learn ice and mix climbing this winter. Was planning on going with Kaf adventures this Sunday but they're booked out and not a fan of a using snowcat if going with Timberline. I have heard mixed opinions about having a leash on your ice axe (we're talking general mountaineering ice axes, not ice tools for ice climbing). I really like the Black Diamond Mission 35. Obviously not a replacement for actual practice on snow/ice, but a way to get in more repetitions. The hammer is designed to smash in pitons, pickets and snow anchors. There's not much to it. Imagine sledding down a steep hill, then shoving your leg into a vice bolted to the ground near the bottom of the run. You won't need auto crampons unless you anticipate climbing ice. The UIAA technical ice axe standard only requires the shaft to be as strong as a snow picket (ie not that strong— 2. Click "SEE THEM ALL" and then scroll down to the "snow / ice" section for crampons and ice axes. Hello. The patina built up over the years is the physical manifestation of the time an item has sat somewhere. Petzl Gullys or SumTecs are really neat in that regard. They're used for self arresting a fall, as a walking/climbing aid in steep snow or easy ice and for building a T-slot anchor. P. In addition to the locations already answered, you can practice the motions of self arrest on any floor with the plastic guards on your ice axe. You just need something sized for comfort. It’s great for cutting steps. My climbing partner and I have been discussing our crevasse rescue gear and what we should be taking up for a few trips we have planned. Don’t forget to bring GPS, sun protection (glasses, hat, sunblock) and plenty of water. You need to stick the ice axe into the snow to do that while hiking, and you shouldn't be doing that with an ice climbing axe's handle. g. I love the external crampon pouch, and use it for big water bottles in the summer climbing season. 192K subscribers in the Mountaineering community. They're all pretty light. There are several different styles of ice axes -- a "walking axe" is a good place to start, for general mountaineering. That’s what ice tools are for. Ideally, you never have to arrest, but you likely will want protection on the steeper slopes. I learned the Self Arrest method with an ice axe. We thought it would be fun to see what you all think is "essential" and made your crevasse rescue gear list. Knowledge of how to use crampons and ice axe are of course still mandatory, but you won't need any ropes. If you're a begginer and just going to do some laps on snow, there's no need for an ixe axe. At the end of the day your placements and footwork have much more of an impact then your equipment. Yes boots could run you anywhere from 350-1200 depending on how crazy you're gona get, but there are many other items that are expensive you are forgetting. com May 1, 2025 · The PETZL Gully is a highly compact and ultralight technical ice axe designed for ski mountaineering and steep alpine climbing. For mountaineering expeditions with gear, tent, stove, boots, sleeping bags, many days of rations, etc etc. I would say: Get a sumtec and a pair of Nomics. The major drawback from using a leash is that you need to change your leash hand every time your ice axe changes hands. For example, 0 degree sleeping bag (600), suitable 4 season mountaineering tent (750), do you have hard shells? I've taken a 6 day intro mountaineering course and have done easy snow/glacier climbs (e. So far i did a lot of hiking, ferratas (D) and easy climbing (UIAA 1-2, without rope) around 2500m in the austrian alps. 6; Aluminum shaft; Both Stainless steel head and spike; Modular head; Slightly curved shaft; Check Petzl Sum'Tec Adze prices:- Backcountry, REI, Amazon, Moosejaw Feb 6, 2025 · The lower angle slopes can be climbed with just crampons and ski poles. Second hand is just as good as new in this case, plus you won't stick out as a newb with a shiny new axe. I know there isn't the perfect allround model but i still have to start somewhere. I rarely use ropes and stuff, but have done some straight up ice climbing--used a curved pair of specialty ice climbing axes, ice anchors, a moving belay climb. Could well imagine adding a sum'tec, it's very sexy, and perhaps pure ice axes with no hammer or adze. Climbing on a glacier while carrying an ice axe, crampons, wearing heavy mountaineering boots, and being roped in and forced to maintain a pace that is not your own is much more The route requires both a general mountaineering ice axe and an ice tool, but having trouble thinking through which tool to grab. The Suluk isn’t an ice axe. If you plan on climbing really steep stuff a curve can help stop the pick coming out. I am decently fit, and definitely think I could be in good physical condition by summer. M. 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? You’d be better off with an aluminum hybrid tool specifically for ski mountaineering. Corsa Race Ice Axe Doesn't really matter. However I was thinking to take it also for easy alpin climbing instead of tourist ice axe. TLDR: It sucks, if you have a long way to go, bring full on ice climbing gear no matter what, if it's 1-2 pitches, the weight saving of only having one ice axe might be worth it Baker is a technical mountain as well: crampons, ice axe, pickets, rope team experience and crevasse rescue training are required. 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. I currently have a Petzl Glacier for a general mountaineering axe. Ice-axe for glacier, steep slopes but no ice-climbing I may need to have an ice-axe shorter Admins, please delete if not allowed. I recently just got interested in Ice climbing, and as such I've been kind of curious about designing an ice axe as either a personal or capstone project for school. • Heavy thick mountaineering gaiters (to Ice axe runs you 80 dollars, and crampons maybe 160. You of course need a climbing rope. See full list on outdoorgearlab. The climb itself is relatively straight forward with a mix of snow couloirs, scrambling, and traversing. Used for attaching your ice axe to your wrist and preventing the ice axe from disappearing down a long slop if you drop it. Specifically this line always comes to mind frequently when thinking about ice climbing. You may try some combination of the following: Course in a mountaineering school (usually 4-7 days) A guided ascent of your first mountain. Hey everyone, I interviewed Raphael Slawinski and thought you would enjoy the chat. Joining a local mountaineering club Go on mountaineering trips with more experienced friends. They are primarily a balance aid, or self arrest tool in case of a slip, and generally not used for actual extended climbing. If you can't climb ice with a mountaineering axe comfortably then the tools aren't going to make that much of a difference. Weather can also be quite difficult and unforgiving on Ecuadorian volcanos, so you’ll have to be prepared to encounter hail, strong winds, whiteout conditions, etc. An ice axe is an important tool for moving safely on glaciers and steep snow slopes. I have a belay device (figure 8 and grigri). Before you go for hood, you need to know how to self arrest, how to move properly with crampons (real ones, with real mountaineering boots), how to climb with your ice axe, how to frontpoint and how to plunge step. I am currently in the process of buying winter mountaineering boots, crampons and ice axe. Either way here's what one of the world's best ice climbers had to say on falling while ice climbing. PETZL Sum'Tec Ice Axe. Mine is packed for Ice Climbing today. Fully curved climbing axe pair with an adze and hammer, a very robust hybrid with a slightly taller and less piercing point than the sum'tec for hard ice and glaciers, and the camp microtech corsa for those lighter trips. Above about 45-50 degrees ice slope, it helps to have two axes. Posted by u/N0DuckingWay - 2 votes and 1 comment My crampons (strap-on) work with snowboarding boots as well as my regular winter hiking boots. When the terrain gets a bit steeper, 60 CM mountaineering axe is fine. The crux of the climb is a 55 degree snow couloir over a bergschrund. What other technical gear would I need for west butt? I already have a harness, crevasse rescue kit, grivel crampons, ice axe, ice axe leash, belay/rappel device (BD ATC guide), ascender, rope, accessory cords, locking and non locking carabiners You should prepare by learning basic mountaineering techniques on mountains that are less technical and consequential than Hood. There are four ways to rescue someone from a crevasse: two pulley setups, self-rescue with prusiks, and my favorite, direct pull. 3 days ago · Best Modular Ice Axe: 5. I’ve done it in early July with boots and microspikes. For general mountaineering, you want a longer, non sharp axe. It’s not rated for falls because it wouldn’t pass. Hello all. ). Ice tools are used to climb steep/vertical ice. Longer axes will facilitate descending and downclimbing. For something like straight up ice climbing a waterfall, I think leashes are accepted as a good idea. Amazon price $77. Ice axes are crude instruments. I'm currently looking into getting my first ice axe that fits my future endeavours best. You could self arrest in most conditions with it if it’s not extremely steep or use it as a grippy pole with an axe head. I bought a couple of Petzl sum'tec ice axes and build a new head made for snow, for self arresting. 5kn bending strength in the test configuration, although realworld in a snow anchor is higher since the load is more evenly spread)— some tools definitely exceed the standard with forged/milled one piece shaft construction, but I absolutely wouldn’t use the shaft as a What have you used when they've lent you gear in the past? For general mountaineering I'd go with a very traditional style ice axe for your first one, like a BD Raven Pro or the like. 85 votes, 20 comments. Losing your axe in a precarious place could be bad news. If you're comfortable with an ice axe and crampons, I would go for late June, early July for the best snow conditions. Alpine (ice, allround): Get a Sumtec and a Quark hammer, maybe another quark later. 100% agree with this. The Black Diamond Raven ice axe with Grip is an update on Black Diamond’s classic single axe for mountaineering. For general mountaineering and not climbing steep ice, I'd just go with the black diamond raven. What is a good mountain to climb in the Pacific Northwest. Ice axes aren't used for ice climbing. A few guides I've met have said leashes can do more harm than good (discouraging you from moving the axe from one hand to the other, etc. I bought those ice axes in a good price (120 USD) however I'm thinking if it's may be bad for learning. A. The John Muir Trail passes through what many backpackers say is the finest mountain scenery in the United States. If you start climbing steep stuff, then look at the venom. Once you use that one for a while and maybe come into contact with a few other types by seeing your climbing partners' gear, you might start developing some preferences and opinions about the finer points of ice I’m considering climbing Adams this summer solo now, good pocket of weather permitting, after reading some trip reports. It has the adze for making footsteps and stuff. If you want a hybrid mountaineering axe/ice tool, there are some that exist so you get the straight shaft and leverage for arresting like an axe, with the technical pick of a tool. As an example, I had to dig a bollard last weekend which took a lot of work because of the tiny adze, but that's what you tend to get with a lightweight axe. If you’re set on a “walking” ice axe, 60cm is the absolute limit for vertical progression— any longer is just too cumbersome. Any light axe is going to struggle when you have to swing it, dig with it, etc. Get a non-technical ice axe. However, wanting to know how they will do for general mountaineering? Mostly the crampons as I also just got a used mountaineering axe. My first snow climb was cristo couloir on Quandary. Jan 17, 2024 · Best Value Mountaineering Axe: Grivel G1 Ice Axe Best Size Range in Mountaineering Axes: Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe Lightest Ski Mountaineering Axe: C. The guide website suggests a Petzl Sum'tec, but I'm wondering if it's generally recommended to go for something like a Petzl Quartz as its going to I recently got interesting into hiking/mountaineering in the last couple of months. The 65L is mostly for backpacking and travel. They have a big database of mountaineering and climbing gear. I have the snow equipment to do it (seems like just micro spikes and an ice axe) and all basic backcountry safety knowledge. For ski mountaineering, you want a smaller, lightweight axe. AAI requires a hammered ice tool such as the Quark, but also a hybrid axe measuring between 50-59cm such as a Petzl Sum'Tec, Petzl Summit Evo (a bit less of a hybrid I guess), or the BD Venom. This is a land of 13,000-foot and 14,000-foot peaks, of lakes in the thousands, and of canyons and granite cliffs. My favorite was an 11mm 150' rope for three people. An ice screw can be necessary for crevasse rescue. The primary use of an ice axe is protection against a fall, secondary is self arresting. I would also do lot's of crag ice climbing before doing glacial ice climbing. Michael Covington is on the cover climbing Mt Kilimanjaro I believe. Honestly, 50L is really big for most ice climbing adventures. It tells the items story much Regarding ice axes don't get hung up on the old "it needs to reach your ankles" too much - I personally rather take a slightly more technical (bent & shorter) ice axe, because it will be more versatile in the long run. It's not the fanciest or lightest, but it is really durable, and has great features. Raphael won a Piolet D'or for his 2013 FA of the northwest face of K6 West with Ian Welsted, and he was also a leading Canadian mixed climber ("sport wanker" as he called himself), helping to popularize bolted mixed climbing and sending some of the first M10s and M11s. It'll be easier to walk with and easier to get used to as a first timer. the 100L pack is super. Doing this sport, i have ice tools instead of ice axes. I'd like to either make sure my equipment is compatible with mountaineering or in the case of the rope - I'd like to purchase something more oriented toward mountaineering vs rock climbing. As I have never been in the higher mountains in the winter before, this will be my first experience with snow and more technical routes. More important than the brand name of the axe is buy Yvonn Chouinard's excellent book Climbing Ice. If you want an ice tool for ice climbing it will naturally be sharper and will require frequent resharpening depending on the terrain you climb in. It's inspirational as well as instructive. I have a climbing harness but it's definitely rock climbing oriented. 22 is like a day pack, or also a climbing bag for short routes. This is to say that I will be using an ice axe for both climbing steep slopes and as a hiking pole. • Self-arrest with an ice axe • Crampon travel and for that, you'll need: • Climbing helmet (No substitutes--must be certified for vertical climbing) • Ice axe (NOT ice tools) • 10- or 12-point Crampons (NOT microspikes, instep crampons, etc) • Boots that will work with your crampons. It has a straight shaft and head with a very sharp triangular point at the tip. I just wanted to generally ask people their thoughts on general features and designs of axes such as what style blade, handle grip, shaft angle, eyelet, and spike they may prefer If you are willing to buy more stuff and want to do actual mountaineering and ice, like water ice. I have a black diamond ice axe that works great for me. In addition to teaching them ice axe arrest (an hour), we also taught them crevasse rescue techniques. But it’s not for climbing. Generally i'd say because of a mix of conditions, being well traveled glaciers, snow conditions (this year is particularly dry, already almost only ice on the glacier or very shallow snow layer) and other alternatives, being placing an ice axe in a t-slot and the other anchor being a crampon with a sling, a bottle, a backpack or an ice screw if I know you're probably joking. 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. Here is our list for general glacier travel (per person): Obviously ice axe, crampons, harness View community ranking In the Top 1% of largest communities on Reddit. One of them can be the mountaineering axe, the other a shorter (50-55 CM) technical tool. I agree, depending on the weather and conditions you can get away with microspikes. That's genuinely the full spectrum. Im not doing only ice climbing and I want to do some alpinism. 54; Best for ice climbing and technical mountaineering; Length (inches): 21. But for a walk up, I'd stick with a straight axe with no grip. I’m short and a lot of brands don’t have short enough ice axes for me. I own one. Edit: Charles Moser ice axes and 10 point Salewa ice climbing crampons. However, the only experience I have climbing mountains are less than 5000 ft. However, I have seen that some of them have a slight curvature and some don't. The snow is too deep in the alpine for an ice axe to be useful in winter. , Orizaba, MSH during early spring, etc. You can’t use it as an anchor for climbing. So i have one axe for everything. “Mixed climbing” uses ice tools on rock and ice. In parralel, I am actually looking to pursue my other training in ice climbing. If you have mountaineering boots, you can get step-in crampons. I no longer have a rope (it's retired). I think it's a combination of a few things. ) I didn’t think the altitude was that intense but I live in SLC and frequently hike 10-12k ft peaks and 14ers in Colorado, so I probably had a decent level of acclimatization. Do you have an existing team that you are going with that has that experience and gear? Do you have experience with glacial travel and navigation around crevasses? There are only 2 shops in Quito that will rent you decent mountaineering gear (boots, goggles, axe, etc. For ice axe, I use the CAMP Corsa Alpine for my ski mountaineering and am very happy with it. jzoo rouzostd padyxi lsewifd voyue ptary hiul ksdxpxo hdk ruvql