Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Thu 29-06-23 9:20; edited 1 time in total
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I really like my grivel ghost, very small and light. Perfect for something that's going to be in the bag most of the time, and just needed for glacier travel/self arrest. Fine for bootpacking, but not really designed for any serious climbing. So may not be suitable depending on how "mountaineeringy" your ski mountaineering is.
I really like my grivel ghost, very small and light. Perfect for something that's going to be in the bag most of the time, and just needed for glacier travel/self arrest. Fine for bootpacking, but not really designed for any serious climbing. So may not be suitable depending on how "mountaineeringy" your ski mountaineering is.
Thanks, I'm planing to do some more 4000'ers (e.g. Pollux & Dufour Spitze) so probably need something a bit more 'meaty'. Went up Castor in 2019 while it was wind swept with blue ice. A slightly curved axe handle with a better blade would have been much better.
I use the Petzl Ride, which I'm pretty happy with. Curved shaft and steel head. I'd want it longer for mountaineering on foot, but for touring it's great.
Do you really need a T axe? Generally only required if you're going to start torquing your axe in cracks and suchlike. A B axe is fine for general mountaineering, even into hard ice, etc. Be wary of going too tech with a reverse-curve pick as they're much less effective for self-arrest. Only required if you're getting into (near) vertical ice-climbing scenarios. I haven't done Pollux, but there's no need for a hard-core axe on Dufourspitze for example.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I have one of these http://www.smhc.co.uk/objects_item.asp?item_id=32833 sadly they have not been made for nearly 20 years. They were pretty much the standard kit in the early 1990s, very versatile from a walk up Helvelyn in the winter to 4000ers in the summer
After all it is free
After all it is free
@DB, Dufourspitze by the normal route is pretty straightforward, when I did it in July 2018 the snow on the ride below the final rocky ridge to the summit was very hard but just required careful crampon footwork as a steep walk rather than a climb. My old Grivel, similar to the current Air Tech, was fine. It’s a long slog up the glacier from the hut so I wouldn’t want to be carrying anything too heavy.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@DB, if you are looking for something versatile (ie usable for a bit of mountaineering too) I would definitely look for something with a steel head/pick rather than alloy. From multiple past experiences going light with alloy crampons and/or axe it is fine until you get any real ice, then it all gets quite 'stimulating' very quickly - fine if you have plenty of margin, not so fine if you are on the edge of comfort zone.
I use the Petzl Gully for ski mountaineering, but this may be a bit short for 'classic' mountaineering use - Summit or Summit Evo probably the nearest similar option in slightly longer options...
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Thanks for all the replies. Yes I'm warry of superlight not being the best option (like a plastic shovel for ski touring).
I'm assuming a T rated axe is needed to make an anchor for crevasse rescue. e.g.
...... or will any axe do the job in this instance?
I once needed to make an anchor between rocks on the Großglockner many years ago, wouldn't want anything that wouldn't stand up to this just in case I needed to do it again.
I'm edging towards the Petzl Summit Evo, even with a slightly curved schaft it's still reported to be good for self arrest. It also has a steel head and is robust without being an absolute heavyweight.
My current ice axe is a 60 cm Grivel Air Tech from around 2001. Wonder if it's best to keep this for mountaineering and buy an axe specifically for ski touring.
e.g. Petzl Ride @ 45cm
Having said that there's only 180g difference between the Summit Evo and the ride. (420g vs 240g, 59cm vs 45cm).
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Any axe will do for building an anchor. I had to double-check myself, couldn't quite remember the details on this. A B-rated axe is rated to 2.5kN in this scenario (approx 250kg) which is, in realistic rescue scenarios, enough. It's not enough for a leader-fall scenario. If the anchor is well made and the axe is supported evenly along its length, the strength rating of the axe itself becomes less important*. You'd be talking about it shearing at the sling, the snow/ice is going to fail long before the axe does. I could do a back-of-the-envelope estimate of the axe shaft shear strength, but I'd be willing to bet it's a lot more than 2.5kN. (Ok, I've just done it and my first estimate answer is over 26kN with a factor of safety of 3! That's at least as strong as the rope.).
*I think the strength rating is in terms of separating the head from the shaft. That's not going to be an issue in a well-made snow/ice belay. If you're bridging your axe between two distinctly separate rocks with a big gap between them, it might be. In a badly made snow/ice belay, it could be as well.
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