Ice Axe Question

generally :
the steeper the terrain you will be using it on the shorter you may want it.
also if you will use it for actual ice v.s. snow you may want it a bit shorter.
for general low angle snow travel a bit longer is ok.
but it is not supposed to be a walking stick.

of course this is all relative to your height.

Yeah that was what I thought. I might err on the side of a bit shorter then recommended because I'll have it strapped to my pack a lot more then I'll actually us it. I won't be doing super steep stuff on solo trips.

Be careful about going to short and thereby limiting the usefulness of the tool. Based on the stated conditions, spring snow, and assuming a moderate slope you will want to be using it for balance on traverses, probing around rocks for post holes, or occasionally chopping steps for harder pack. This is when you need a properly sized axe. I would think that going for a shorter size for convenience, weight, or fit to a pack is a poor justification and can even be an impediment for the intended purpose. Have you ever read 'Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills'? A great resource for the intent and proper use of an axe.

Short is fine. Just make sure it's long enough to quickly and comfortably grab in self-arrest position. I have a 60cm axe and I'm 5'11 and it works just fine for self arrest, step cutting, glacier travel, etc. For me if it were any shorter it'd be awkward to quickly assume the self-arrest position and that would be dangerous.

>"but it is not supposed to be a walking stick."

I differ on that. On vertical ice, you want a shorter ax because you're swinging it like a hammer to plant the pick and/or drive pro and/or chop away rotten ice/snow before placing ice screws.

But I don't do vertical ice. I sometimes am on high-angle snow and when that gets to be wind-blown or freeze-thawed into ice, I want to be able to self arrest. That means an ice axe. But except for actually taking a fall and needing to self-arrest, I do use it (not as a hiking pole, but) as a third leg of sorts. It helps stabilize me on a traverse of high-angle snow. It can be stabbed into the snow to be an anchor. It can be an additional support on a stream crossing.

And when self-arresting (and all the self-arrest practice you should do BEFORE you need to do it for real): I like a longer ice ax for that as well. The point of a 45- or 50-cm ax rests on my chest and is harder to control than a longer ax (80-90 cm) on which my lower hand has more leverage and the point is well away from my ribs (I hate punctured lungs) and belly (hari kari should be done with a different implement, in a different setting, and only for good reasons).

HYOH

CYOIA (carry your own ice ax)

Those are reasons I opt for a longer ice ax for the mostly non-technical snow travel I do.

…

+2 to what David said.

I like a longer axe, since it is a third point of balance on the mostly lower-angle snow that I ever go on. And if I ever really slid (only done as practice), having the long axe from shoulder down to hip gives me lots of leverage, and keeps pointy parts more away from the center of the body.

As the instructor said in my snow safety course, if you slip, you've already failed. The whole point is to move in balance, and avoid slipping at all costs. Planning to just self-arrest if you do is a bad plan – it can go bad and/or be fatal depending on the slope and run-out.

And the longer axe weighs negligibly more and fits fine on the pack when not in use. Still love my ten-year old Cassin Ghost.

I agree with most of what has been stated here. My ice axe experience goes back so far that two of my ice axes have wooden shafts. The steeper the slope, the shorter the axe. A long axe makes an excellent walking stick, if you need one.

Rather than worry about the exact length of the axe, it might be more fruitful to think about where and how you carry it. Obviously if it is tied onto your pack, it is useless. Make sure that your wrist strap really works right.

I was getting ready to descend an icy glacier one time, and the other guy started down first, except that he was carrying his axe and it was not in the Ready position. He slipped, fell, and slid a long way. I think the only reason that he stopped is that he dug his fingernails into the ice, and he got beaten up badly.

–B.G.–

For low angle snow I use poles. For steep stuff a short (50cm) ax works great & does everything I need. You can put the shaft in deep enough to create a good handhold/self belay, bury the pick when needed, cut steps, and glissade or self arrest just fine. The 50cm CAMP Corsa is I think 7oz – great tool!

+3 to what David said.

"…a really short ax would be easier to just grab for short trips where I probably won't need it but might occasionally like having it."

I agree with everything David said. When it's definitely going to be needed a lot, BD Raven Pro 80cm (about 16oz) is functionally ideal for me.

However, on trips where it's there "just in case", there's some logic to having something short and light that you don't shy away from taking because it's heavy and awkward to strap to your pack. Better to have a suboptimal axe that's in your hand, rather than an ideal axe that's sitting in your garage. For me, Corsa Nanotech 60cm fits the bill for that (about 10oz). Any shorter would just be too awkward to use (I'm 6'2").

If you're only going to be on moderate slopes, you could also consider replacing a pole with a BD Whippet. You can't self-belay of course, so it's inferior on steep slopes. But it has the advantage that it's always in your hand for self arrest, so you don't have a "decision point" on switching from poles to ice axe. And although it's not light, it's lighter than most pole+axe combinations, and probably more robust than most poles.

http://blackdiamondequipment.com/en/ski-poles/whippet-ski-pole-BD1115360000ALL1.html#start=14

Thanks ya'll. I think I'll just keep what I have for the time being. The biggest point made to me was Dave's idea that a longer shaft keeps sharp ends out from under your chest. Hard to argue with that.

The only thing more important that keeping sharp ends out from under your chest would be keeping the pick away from your eyeball.

–B.G.–

50 cm is perfect !

I don't know Bob, what IS the order of preference between

Eyeball on pick
Punctured lung
Seppuku
Testicle on spike

del

The other thing is that the pick is supposed to be moderately sharp on any ice axe, regardless of length. It is supposed to be sharp enough that you can push your thumb against it, and it will hurt, but it won't quite puncture the skin.

I've seen people with razor-sharp picks, and they do a lot of damage.

I guess you get the point.

–B.G.–

Luke, I think 60cm would be ideal for a walking/snow axe for you. Shorter axes work (I have a 43cm one) but self-arresting becomes clumsier with less leverage. I have a 70cm Corsa and would buy a 90cm one if offered. It would be a great alpenstock for snow walking and be handy in talus as well.