Ice Axe Shaft Only?

[Ryan Bressler]

It sounds like a grivel condor head might work for you. It is a self arrest tool but the blade folds down and it also looks like it could be used to top grip the shaft.

The rammer/life link plastic self arrest grip could be a good option too.

http://www.earnyourturns.com/11494/review-self-arrest-grips-3-options/

Not sure on the current availability of either of those.

There are light semi-technical tools with removable blades heads but they are all short.

I personally find poles (with baskets) very effective in that they help prevent small slips. BD makes some burlier poles for skiing like the two section boundary and three section expedition.

[David Adair]

You might look at some of the canes in the drug stores. They have gotten pretty techy lately including a number with light alloy tubes and a T handle. Cutting one to length and hammering the tube end flat to make a chisel point may accomplish what you want. I have considered replacing my trekking pole with one for reasons similar to yours.

[YAMABUSHI !]

Seems like everyone gave you the "scared mother" rap so I'll save my "Nervous dad" speel…

From your description it seem like the Petzl Snowtube Snow Anchor might be your answer.
It is literally a Ice axe shaft sans the head. 22 inches at a claimed weight of 9oz.

In all fairness the only place Ive ever seen them is collecting dust on wacky outdoor shop walls. Its one of those pieces of equipment that was built to fill a gap that really isnt to hard to fill (picket or ice axe). Hope that helps.

[peter vacco]

have i not seen ski poles with self-arrest hooks built into the handles ?
i think i have. if you carry poles, then heck, you might as well have ones with some asswhip hooks on them. there have been spots i would have liked to be with just such a device in my hands.
now i have to go look for these fictional (as yet) pole handles.

[Richard Fischel]

the petzl snowscopic which has both a pick and adze and looks more like an ice axe with a ski pole sticking out the bottom. there are also a couple of grip replacements for ski poles that have a pick or similar for self arrest.

[J C]

I'm still at a loss as to how you self-arrest (effectively) with a spike-ended tube.

[Franco Darioli]

Not sure how to read Peter's comment but Black Diamond has/had the Whippet and Grivel the Condor

[Richard Fischel]

are you talking about op's desire for a shaft with a grip and no axe head? i don't think the plan is to self-arrest, just self-belay.

If you're talking about the petzl snowtube, as pointed out, it’s just a variation of a picket for anchoring a belay, not (meant to be) a substitute for an ice axe.

[Gary Dunckel]

The late Paul Ramer of Colorado created a very unique ski pole in the late 1970s. It had 2 different interchangeable handles that could be used, one of which was a functional self- arrest tool. The aluminum poles were very robust, with a weight of 1# 6 oz./pair with regular XC strapped handles. The funky thing about these was that you could remove the handles and the two poles would clip together end-to-end to create a functional avalanche probe. Ramer was a true MYOG genius, and he made his products available to us through Boulder's local mountaineering shops.

Spelling edit: It's spelled genius, not "genious"

[Ross Bleakney]

>> I'm still at a loss as to how you self-arrest (effectively) with a spike-ended tube.

>>>> are you talking about op's desire for a shaft with a grip and no axe head? i don't think the plan is to self-arrest, just self-belay.

>>>> If you're talking about the petzl snowtube, as pointed out, it’s just a variation of a picket for anchoring a belay, not (meant to be) a substitute for an ice axe.

As the OP, I can say you are mostly correct. I mainly want this for self belay. But in a pinch, on soft snow, you can use a spike ended tube for self arrest. I would grab it a few inches from the pointy end with my left hand (I'm right handed) and somewhere towards the top with my right hand. (I would figure out the strength of the tube before leaving the house). You wouldn't have the hammer motion you have with an axe, so you wouldn't be able to penetrate hard ice, but on snow it would work better than your fist* or even a regular pole (since a pole won't go down as deep). The key is to match your technique with surroundings. On hard snow or icy snow, I would self belay the entire way. On softer snow, with a better runout and a more moderate angle, I would use it as a half-ass arrest tool.

* Knowing how to self arrest with your fist is important, in my opinion. You could always lose your ice axe, or encounter unexpected snow on a loop trip. Again, I wouldn't depend on it if failure meant death, but I've used the technique to avoid nasty scrapes.

[Richard Fischel]

"in a pinch, on soft snow, you can use a spike ended tube for self arrest. I would grab it a few inches from the pointy end with my left hand (I'm right handed) and somewhere towards the top with my right hand."

that's pretty-much the idea with a ski pole self-arrest. people have been successful using it, but it's not as natural or easy a motion as with an ice axe. i’ve never used a ski pole/whippet in lieu of an ice axe for a self-belay, but the few times i’ve seen it done they all had removed the snow basket for deeper/easier penetration and to have a tighter hole.

[Mike R]

I could see using something like you describe for ascending steep slopes, in terms of self belay, but if a slide was serious enough that you needed to self-arrest, I wouldn't be trusting my life to just a shaft. As you know and others have mentioned, the shaft isn't used to self arrest. There are places to save weight and this isn't one of them. That said, there are some lightwight choices out there. I have a Grivel Air-Tech and it's extremely light. You could also opt for a the shortest shaft available or cut an existing axe shaft. You could also consider a technical axe which would be lighter and shorter, but less comfortable to carry at the head. The ergonomics of self arresting with just a shaft would be awkward, especially considering that you have to respond quickly. I suppose just a shaft is better than nothing, but I'd take a look at the Air Tech with a short shaft.

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