The manufacturer claims it is the lightest forged head in the world. I have no way of proving or disporving that. But one of the ways in which it achieves lightness is by using a lighter B-rated shaft that trims the ounces. In fact the Air Tech Racing comes in at just shy of 400 […]
Black Diamond Raven and Raven Pro Ice Axes Reviewed
It is hard to imagine a piece of gear as mundane as an ice axe approaching something like celebrity status. But if anything has it must be the Black Diamond Raven ice axe family. They are, I guess, the VolksWagen of ice axes. You find them everywhere. They do the job without any fuss or […]
Ice Axe Self-Arrest: How to save your life
The most important reason for carrying an ice axe up in the mountains is to be able to “self-arrest” or stop yourself from sliding down and off the mountain if you fall. It is not, as some people think, a glorified walking stick with a pointy end for showing off in the parking lot. To […]
The Most Famous Ice Axe Belay Ever
Anyone who has been around mountaineering for any period of time will have come across the name of Peter Schoening, a real legend of American mountaineering. He spent a life on high mountains and was famously on Everest in 1996, an ill-fated year in which scores of mountaineers died on the mountain. But he is […]
A Classic Wood-Shafted Ice Axe Reinvented: The Grivel Monte Bianco
Climbers with a real sense of nostalgia often look back on classic wooden-shafted mountaineering ice axes with a real sense of loss. Many of these were works of art. And there is something to be said about holding wood in your hand. You can feel that it is a living material, rather than just a […]