Did somebody just get hacked?

My first thought is that Brian is marketing an UL axe as a “trowel”, in an attempt to dodge some potential liability should the thing “fail” if used as an axe. I know absolutely nothing about “ice axes”, but an axe in the 4-5 oz range seems extraordinary.

It isn’t certified by whomever it is that certifies mountaineering equipment. Everyone knows what it is: a lightweight ice axe designed for the once-in-your-lifetime self-arrest that will save your life on the PCT or wherever.

Certified ice axes are so heavy that lightweight backpackers leave them at home: this means they don’t save any lives. ULA built one that’s light enough that it will be in your hand when you need it, and when they got chaff from mountnaineers for the sin of selling an uncertified ice axe, they renamed and “repurposed” it.

Worries me for a hack job too. I can’t imagine why they would name it that on their own just because people complained about it’s purpose.

This is old news. It’s been like this for quite a time and was covered in another thread a while ago. Brian James nailed the rational. Be sure to read his post

??? dose anyone know what the lightest Certified axe is ???

EDIT: that is about 70-80 cm

I don’t have an ice axe (yet) but I’ve heard one of the lightest is the Camp XLA 210….

http://www.camp-usa.com/module/product/detail.asp?ID=124

They don’t say it’s rated, but this site thinks it is….

http://www.promountainsports.com/ice-axes.shtml

i think that the lightest is the

cassin ghost 200grms (7 oz) in 50 cm lenght

http://www.cassin.it/uk/scheda.asp?Codice=162

http://www.cassin.it/schede_uk/162.pdf

carlos fernandez
spain