GT: TYPES OF ICE AXES
Ice axes are the iconic tool for mountaineering, relied upon for generations to safely access complex alpine terrain. They also look badass and can double as cheese-slicers in a pinch.
Ice axes have a magical ability to provide stability and grip on surfaces that would otherwise be unsafe or inaccessible. If you take a slip and fall on a steep snowfield, you can self-arrest and save yourself by digging in with your axe’s sharp pick. If you’re booting up a couloir, you can plunge your axe’s shaft into the snow for some security and stability. And if you want to climb right up a frozen waterfall, you can swing the tip of your pick into the solid ice and hang your full body weight on it. It’s all a marvel of powerful, low-tech physics in action.
While all axes have a few parts in common, there are several different types for specialized uses, from snow walking to ice climbing and everything in between. Whether you’re ice axe shopping or simply ice axe curious, here’s a high-level overview of their types and uses.
The sum of its parts: elements of an ice axe
Without getting into too much detail, ice axes have a few main parts:
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The shaft is the long part of the axe. It might be straight or curved, and short or long depending on its intended use. Lighter upscale models may use carbon fiber to save weight, while more traditional models are metal.
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The spike is the sharp point on the bottom of the shaft. This makes it easy to plunge the shaft into the snow, giving you a nice solid hold when the slope is slick or you just want to feel secure.
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The head of the ice axe includes the pointy part—the pick. On the opposite end of the pick is a scoop-like adze that can chop into snow or ice (or, if you choose, a hammer to hit snow spikes or pitons … more on that later).
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A carabiner hole is usually found on the head of the axe, too. It’s a very handy place to clip a personal tether to for a hasty anchor, or simply attach a leash to lest you drop the axe and lose it.
The kind of axe you need depends on what you’ll use it for
There are several different types of ice axes, each suited for a certain activity or hybrid of activities. At one end of the spectrum, you’ll find general mountaineering axes.
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Mountaineering ice axes: General mountaineering axes are intended mainly for walking on snow. If you’re climbing a mountain by walking up snow fields and glaciers, and you want a way to stop a fall or anchor safely into the snow, a mountaineering axe is what you need. These have longer, straighter shafts so you can use them as a walking stick in one hand, holding on to the head of the axe and pressing the spike into the snow.
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Ice climbing axes, also called “ice tools”: These have much shorter shafts than general mountaineering axes. The shafts are curved, and the picks are curved for a nice11 aggressive bite when you swing them into the ice. Ice tools come with a grippy handle near the base of the shaft, so you can rest your body weight onto them once you’ve planted your pick securely in the ice.
Both
mountaineering axes and
ice tools have the option to secure a leash to the axe. Whether or not you do is a matter of preference—are you more worried about dropping the axe and losing it, or about the possibility of it injuring you while you’re falling and it’s attached to you?
Weight matters in your axe selection, too—if you’re going long distances, or will be swinging into ice all the livelong day, a lighter axe will minimize fatigue.
And, in many instances, you’ll see the option to purchase an axe with either an adze or a hammer on the end. Some let you interchange between the two. To decide what you need, consider if you’ll ever need to hammer pickets or pitons into the snow (if so, you want at least one hammer). Or, will you ever need to use the axe to clear out a platform in firm snow or ice, or whack protruding ice out of the way when looking for an ice screw placement. Many folks get one axe with an adze and one with a hammer for easy versatility.
Within the broad categories of mountaineering and climbing axes, there are a huge range of cool specialties and variations. Here are a few examples:
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Steep snow mountaineering axes fall on the general mountaineering end of the spectrum, but have shorter shafts and a slight curve. The shorter shaft length is easy to rest on the snow when it’s steep, and the curve helps if you want to swing it and hook the pick into super-steep snow or ice.
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Ski mountaineering axes are short, super lightweight, and curved with a nice aggressive pick that can swing into a couloir of firm snow or into an ice bulge. They’re easy to throw on your ski mountaineering pack, and you can even carry one in one hand (stashing your pole on your pack) if the ski descent is super rowdy and you may need to self arrest.
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Ice climbing axes also often have the option for interchangeable picks you can purchase and swap out for specialized activities like mixed rock and ice or dry-tooling on rock. You can really fine-tune your axe components for the exact activity you have in mind.
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While not an ice axe, a ski Whippet is a ski pole with an axe-like tip on the handle. It can come in super handy to help you slow or stop yourself after a slip-up, and gives you a nice Spiderman-style grip when you’re booting up steep couloirs. Some folks ski with one Whippet in steep terrain, and others opt for two. It’s a matter of personal preference.
There are more variables and details we could get into, but this quick overview should give you an idea of the ice axe spectrum. Be sure to share and post your pics of getting radical with your UnNew axes from Geartrade. The more ferocious your pose, the better!
Beth Lopez is a seasoned writer and creative director who loves to tell tales of adventure and discovery—and finds writing a powerful way to give a voice to people, causes, and places. Beth runs amok in the Wasatch mountains when untethered from her computer. She believes there’s no such thing as a bad ski day and considers animals her favorite people. Don’t tell her mother about her Instagram mountaineering photos.
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