UKH

Hi all

I’m after some suggestions for a lightweight walking axe please. 

Not been out in the hills as much as I would like the last few years (mostly thanks to a dodgy body!) but having managed to get out into N Wales hills a fair bit this year I’m keen to get back into some winter walking again.

So looking at updating some of my kit- axe and crampons to start with. (Looking at grivel air tech light for crampons, but will try in a shop to make sure they match my boots)

My current axe is an original straight shaft DMM Raptor - I’ve had it for a good few years! It’s in pretty good condition considering its age so could happily use that, but it’s a bit heavy. So looking for something a bit lighter to use for (mostly) walking. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

I have a DMM spire tech for walking and think its great.

It's crazy light and can still be used on angled snow

I also find the Spire Tech great for winter walking / easy routes and classic alpine.

DMM spire Tech it is then

Thank you both. 

If it's just for walking, you really can't go wrong. I've never come across an walking axe that isn't well made and fit for purpose. They are all getting lighter too. I've had a look at a Spire that a friend had and it's a nice tool, but if you want to save some money there is nowt wrong with the basic Decathlon/Simond model. If you want an axe that is great to walk with but will get you up some easy climbs too, I've had for the last three years a Blue Ice Bluebird - it's probably the nicest tool I've ever used in over 30 years of ice axes, although their prices seem much higher than what I paid now! 

But really, get one the right length for what you want and one that you like the look of, and you won't go wrong!

Hi. I use my DMM Raptors for everything. Never let me down yet. 

I'd get something with a rubber grip as I find all metal axes slippery and easy to drop when cutting steps.

Grivel Airtech Evo or Petzl Summit Evo would be my choices. 

I've been happy with my Petzl Summit for a long while now - the DMM Spire looks to be the same idea but is a bit lighter.

Hi Nicola,

I've got the petzl summit evo, really light and comfy to hold. Tried holding a few different ones in a shop and it was the most comfortable for me.

As for the Grivel air tech's, they're great for scratchy winter conditions and walking on mixed ground. Don't get the light version though, I'm pretty sure they're aluminium and they're designed for ski touring and snow boarding etc. Just get normal air techs (or G12's).

A turn or two of self-amalgamating tape at the base helps with this. I also put some around the 'holding' zone of the head, for better grip and a smidge of insulation.

I used to do this but found it often rolls up when you plunge the axe in firm snow. These days I prefer to buy one with a rubbber grip, as they the seem to last longer. 

It also isn't going to work with any modern tool that has a sliding hand rest on it, like quite a few tools do. 

Tom, presumably you are dropping axes chopping steps that you are using without a wrist loop? I guess you just use an ice axe an awful lot more than most of us do, but I've never lost grip on an axe when using a wrist loop. If you're leashless, I could see that maximum grip on the handle for chopping steps is a real requirement!

Any straight axe will be fine. Don't get sucked into buying something super light - the weight is helpful with an ice axe. 

I agree with Tom about with having a moulded handle, far better than the DIY options, and a wrist loop is possibly the worst thing to have on an axe unless you're cutting steps. Just take it off! 

Plenty of us survived decades with using them and thinking them the norm. Possibly still one of my favourite axes is my Grivel Air Tech Racing - bought it in Snell Sports in 2000 I think (possibly 2001). It has a proper steel forged head then a pretty light shaft with no grip on it. With a wrist loop if you need to swing it you can climb moderate ice or steep snow with it easily, no wrist loop hard to hold when you swing it that way! I always just looped the wrist loop over the adze if I was walking zig zags with it, for ease of swapping hands. 

I did start sliding faster than I thought down the side of Tower Ridge once, when daggering down with one mountaineering axe and one banana pick hammer - we had done the Italian Route and descended TR, to the climb off the Observatory Gully side. It took me a second to realise I was speeding up not slowing down and I was going to have to arrest. Jettisoned my hammer and arrested on my Stubai mountaineering axe, but being wrist loop era, I just flicked my hammer back into my hand and could dagger more carefully down from where I stopped. 

My mountaineering axe now has a sliding grip rest so I don't need to use it with a wrist loop, but when I'm climbing with it I do use an elastic bungee leash to my harness to avoid dropping it good and proper!

Thanks everyone for their tips. Some good ideas for tools to look at - I’m hopefully heading up to northerm Lake District after new year so will do a spot of shopping then. In the meantime I can stick with the Raptor if there’s a chance for a day out somewhere 🙂

At least it’ll match my equally ancient Karrimor rucksack!