Hi all,
So, as promised here is my review of the Singing Rock Bandit Ice Axe!
I had bought these for my trip to Chamonix/Cogne in Feb (6th-9th) mainly based on their price. £150 for the pair which is far cheaper then any other technical axe pair. I had checked out their suitability before the trip by checking with BMC and my 2 local outdoor shops here in Belfast (Cotswold & Jackson Sports) - All reports from the check where the same. Looked good, great price and worth a go.
When we arrived in Chamonix and met our guide (Philippe Collet) I showed him the Bandits (and told him the price) and his eyes lit up. He also confirmed that they looked the part and should do nicely for what we would be doing over the 2 days (routes up to WI4). He also asked if he could climb with them on a few pitches as he wanted to check for himself how they handled.
So, onto the climbing. We climbed on the Saturday in Argentiere across 3 climbs @ La Cremerie (La Cremerie, Chantilly & Moby Dick) - As this was my first outing on ice the start was slow and getting used to climbing with axes was interesting. That said, the Bandits handled well. Not too heavy and had a good swing which always took good purchase on the ice - On near vertical pitches and on those with ice bulges my knuckles were kept of the ice due to the shape of the Bandits shaft which is quite like that of the BD Vipers.
Next on Sunday, it was onto Cogne (Lillaz to be precise) and to the Cascades De Lillaz frozen waterfall - This was an amazing experience. Again the Bandits handled well and even as we climbed pitch 1 (we did it last after topping out and walking back down/around) in the afternoon sun with the ice starting to melt, the axes took did their job well. At least this is what I was told by Philippe as by this stage he had taken them for a climb - He had only good things to say about them and was surprised by the handling (esp the swing). For this pitch I climbed with Philippes Petzl Nomics and I have to say that I did not notice a massive difference from climbing with the Bandits - The swing was similar and weight negotiable due to the difference in price. The main difference I did see was in the purchase you got from the pick - The Nomics have a slightly more agressive pick shape and therefore when swung will go in and seat that little bit further in the ice.
To summarise: The Bandits are an amzing vaule technical ice axe with a lot in common to more expensive competitors (Vipers to mention 1). The weight is good and the swing easy to master. The pick is sharp and strong and is only lacking a little in agressiveness from its competitors. For the price you would be hard to pushed to find better and certinally climbing up to WI4 which we did was not an issue.
Sadly that was it for the climbing and a great 2 days came to an end. But what an experience it was and it is safe to say that I am now hooked and already looking forward to my next ice outing with the Bandits.
DB
PS - The sentiment shown by Philippe our guide was also shown by other guides we met while climbing and all showed an interest in the Bandits - I imagine that once Philippe has got his hands on his that there will be a few more pairs of the bright green axes seen in and around Chamonix.
PPS - If anyone is planning a trip to the Chamonix area and looking a guide, I cannot recommend Philippe Collet
http://www.guide4chamonix.com/ enough. He is a friendly guy with a lot of experience and local knowledge.