UKH

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.

In reply to Davey_HB:
Good review! Did anyone try the axes on anything harder?

Have soloed or simul-climbed some grade II stuff with Scarpa SL 12 point C1 crampons and Grivel Air Tech Evo adze (have borrowed a dull straight shaft hammer last time I've been out). As a result, I want to upgrade boots, axes and crampons for next winter to do some higher grade climbs and Singing Rock Bandits look so good for the price, but I would like some tools which will allow to progress through the grades for few years.

In reply to PPP:

I've seen photos of Pete Benson climbing Scottish VIII on old Quarks and a film of Neil Gresham climbing WI6 on Vipers. The Bandits are very similar to these tools so won't hold your climbing back.

No-one on our trip climbed anything harder than the WI4 - This was due to my climbing partner and I having never tried ice climbing before.

Speaking with Philippe after the climbing (and he had also shown the axes to other guides along the way that we met and they echoed his opinion) he did not suggest needing anything high spec for progressing through the grades. Like I said in review his (and my) only point was the agressiveness of the pick could be better - That said, it would just be a matter of getting used to the Bandits. It they are your only tools, this should come quickly

DB

In reply to Davey_HB:

Good interesting review, it's good to see some alternatives for those on a budget.
How much is a spare pick?
I don't think the axes will limit your progression, some wild routes like Pointless were climbed on straight shafted axes...

In reply to Davey_HB:

Different tools feel slightly different in swing and placement so you need a few routes to get used to them, but I doubt the pick on yours is really so different in "aggressiveness" to other similar tools. I googled the bandits to see what they look like and they look really nice - enjoy them! youtube.com/watch?v=QKRHHYgPwDA&

It may be that just like with loads of new picks, you could file down the right angle at the top of the tip into a smooth curve. If nothing else that right angle makes the picks incredibly "sticky" and hard to extract. Google filing picks and you'll find pics of what to do.

In reply to Davey_HB:

Any recommendations of places to buy them from? Or did you order directly from Singing Rock?

Did they come with the trig rest etc, or did they have to be ordered in addition to the axe? The website doesn't seem too clear, or my brain isn't too clear.

In reply to NottsRich:

I think Sportpursuit had them for sale a couple of times in their sales.

I know not much help atm but keep your eyes peeled if no in a rush to get a pair.


cheers

Gaz

In reply to Gazlynn:

It's tempting - I need new picks for my old Quarks, and they're almost £40 each. I've found these axes for £75 each now which is making me reconsider replacing my old picks... I'll keen my eyes on sportspursuit, thanks for the suggestion.

I got them from Total Access - http://www.totalaccessonline.co.uk/Products/Accessories-and-Bags/Singing-Ro... - £150 for the pair (+ delivery to NI) - They came fully loaded with both rests included.

In reply to NottsRich:

Tell me about it!!!

The price of picks is mental. I've ordered some bd picks from here last week
Barrabes.com

the fedex tracking says they will be delivered on tuesday next week in paris atm and I ordered them on tuesday.

Don't know if this helps but I ordered 2 picks with delivery for 80 euro ( £60 )

cheers

Gaz

In reply to Gazlynn:

New picks for the Singing rock bandits are £14.99, brilliant deal compared to the ridiculous prices for some picks.

In reply to Gael Force:

Jeezo !!!

Nice one.

cheers

Gaz

In reply to NottsRich:

A mate of mine did a lot of research around these tools with totalaccess before buying a set for a client. Total access told him that old Quark picks fitted in the Bandits - it may be worth giving them a ring to see if Bandit picks fit in old Quarks...

In reply to Exile:

Ooh good tip off... Thanks!

In reply to Davey_HB:

I have recently bought a pair of these (from Total Access) and so far only tried them on a couple of scurries of III/IV. This is my first leashless and curved shafted axe ...I have been quite content on straight shafted Vertiges which have not limited my grade (up to VII)...the immediate feel of the bandit was very nice and efficient (suiting my style) I have used quarks and found them comparable in feel and weighting/balance in the hand and not as top heavy as BD. To be honest at this stage its difficult to fault them ...a better review will come after a decent week on them (fingers crossed).

In reply to Exile:

I emailed Total Access and the response was that basically it's a no. They didn't explicitly say they don't fit the old Quarks though, just a kinda vague answer. It's enough to put me off buying the spare picks on a gamble, but if anyone has any in Edinburgh I'd love to have a look and see how they compare!