Lightest Technical Ice Axe

Technical alpine approaches on steep snow and ice where some actual climbing may be required.

Lightest technical ice axe.

The camp usa corsa ice axe is quite possibly the lightest weight ice ax in the world weighing just 8 8 oz 250 grams in a size 60 cm length. Light ice axes are best for glacier travelling hiking and general mountaineering while heavier ice axes are useful for ice climbing and technical mountaineering. In this selection of the best ice axes we only listed lightweight ice axes. While most at home on challenging routes it s still light and comfortable enough to be used by nearly anyone.

Heavier ice axes allow you to easily hook the pick into ice and snow while climbing steep slopes. A 2 nd tool for big alpine missions where a solid workhorse of an axe is needed a lot but an extra tool may be required for shorter sections. Despite its lightweight it is a fully functional uiaa certified b ice ax capable of being used for self rescue glissading and strong enough to be used as a belay anchor. For more technical mixed climbing where you re not just swinging the axe this is an advantage but for pure ice climbs some users might appreciate the addition of pick weights to give the head more oomph and penetration.

Its incomparable modularity means it can also be used for hard ice climbing. It can perform almost all the functions you need in an ice axe and is well within a reasonable budget. This non modular axe climbs steep snow and ice routes and navigates complex glacier routes like a champion. It is also ideal for lightweight and technical mountaineering.

At just 531g increasing to 601g 612g for hammer adze this is the lightest of the more technical axes on review by some margin and has a nice neutral balance. The x light is the first ice axe on the market to respond to these drawbacks successfully. Other options for a lightweight ice axe are the more versatile black diamond raven pro see above or the more technical camp usa corsa nanotech model see below. It s long lightweight and fairly straight so it performs well for general mountaineering and ski touring.

Ergonomic high end ice climbing and dry tooling axes. Made from aluminum the overall weight of the axe is lighter and it comes in a wide array of sizes that you can purchase in increments of 5 cm. Ice pick for ice and mixed climbing designed for ice axes with modular heads. If we could only have one ice axe for a wide range of activities the petzl summit evo would be it.

Nomic ice climbing axe. Quark versatile ice axe for technical mountaineering and ice climbing. The petzl glacier literide is a compact and lightweight ice axe for ski mountaineering and glacier travel. The black diamond raven is a very simple but classic ice axe.