UKH

Could UKC help me with my Christmas shopping?

My girlfriend has recently discovered alpine mountaineering and am looking for ice axe advise.

She already has a pair of Nomics she has been using for continental ice for the past few years and really likes them. What she is after is a single axe for alpine trips which can be paired with one of her technical tools for lower grade Scottish climbs.

Front runners so far are the Petzel summit evo and the new Sum'tec, other brands have been waved around in shops but the choice seams to be between these two but haven't been able to coax a decision out of her.

Which would be the most appropriate to cover a variety of route styles upto Alpine AD/AD+ and Scottish III maybe IV?

Has anyone used these axes in these conditions and have any feedback?

In reply to R Green:

Since she already has Nomic, then new Sum'Tec migth be wise as they now use the same picks (2017 edition).

Salewa North-X, Cassin X-Light are also possible options.

Of course, it all depends a bit on her size... if she's tall, then all ´' technical' tools will be too short for general plodding around.

In reply to R Green:

I use the sum'tec for more technical mountaineering and climbing up to Scottish grade IV.

The summit is more suited to walking though I have used it on easy ridges.

In reply to nickcj:


I have a Summit as a general mountaineering axe for the Alps for when a pair of technical tools isn't really appropriate (which is most of the time, given the modest grade I climb at), and I think it excels in that role. I'd personally go for the Summit rather than the Summit Evo as I don't think it offers much more at all for the extra weight, but then again if I expected to be climbing steep things I'd probably take a pair of technical tools.

In reply to tehmarks:

But the Sum'Tec isn't much heavier, will get you up more technical climbs and hiking poles are more appropriate when the Sum'Tec is *too* technical. Provided you're sub 180cm or so.

Things will change, if you're into say skimoutaineering.

In reply to HeMa:

Thanks for everones input, this colder weather is letting me daydream that some use might be had out of either axe this season.

She is 5'4" (163cm ish?) but favours a longer axe than the 50cm one she's borrowed so far - 55cm maybe.

Any thoughts on how the Sum'tec is suited to easier routes and mounteering objectives when it might be overkill vs using the Summit evo for easier graded climbs? Does the reverse curve pick of the Sum'tec and the extra weight detract much when used this way? For the Alps and ridges/snowy routes the Summit would probably be in its element but how does it fair with all the other conditions winter climbing entails?

When I was thinking about new axes for myself a while back I was intrigued by the North-X but didn't find anywhere where I could get my hands on one in the UK - a slight tangent to the original question but does anyone know where these can be found? Simular thing with the (non evo) Summit, loads of places seam to hold the evo in stock but not seen the standard version in the shops.

In reply to R Green:


Weight, I'd say no... reverse pick, well if she has the habbit of constantly needing to self arrest... then maybe.

In reply to R Green:

this is a pretty good resource/review ....

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/snow-sports/best-ice-axe

In reply to R Green:

I've got a Petzl Summit, great axe for walking and scrambling. I added some self amalgamating tape to the top and bottom of the shaft to make it a bit more grippy) however I wouldn't recommend it for technical climbing - just a personal thing for me but it feels too light weight and insubstantial compared to a true technical axe and the pick feels quite short in comparison.

I did have Petzl Aztars which are similar to the Sum'tec and I found them great for up to Scottish V, so I'd definitely lean towards the Sum'tec than the Summit. For what it's worth, I've got Quarks and found the modular design really useful as you can strip them down for lower grade or mountaineering type routes or build them up for more technical stuff.

Happy shopping!

In reply to R Green:

I pm'd you regarding a pair of grivel matrix techs, probably ideal.

In reply to HeMa:

I agree the Sum'Tec is a nice solution for a do-everything set of tools - I bought the summit already having a pair of technical tools, for moderate alpine terrain. I don't personally think the Summit Evo adds anything useful for the money and the weight, sitting squarely in the middle of the two.

In reply to tehmarks:

Thanks for everyone's responses, As it was a single axe to use on it's own on lower grade climbs and Alpine routes which can then be paired with a more technical tool when required the Sum'tec seams the more versatile option so that is what I went for.