Lightest Technical Ice Axe

This non modular axe climbs steep snow and ice routes and navigates complex glacier routes like a champion.

Lightest technical ice axe.

Quark versatile ice axe for technical mountaineering and ice climbing. Gully ultra light ice axe for technical mountaineering and steep skiing. Nomic ice climbing axe. The x light is the first ice axe on the market to respond to these drawbacks successfully.

It can perform almost all the functions you need in an ice axe and is well within a reasonable budget. 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. However if you want the lightest option for self arrest in moderately steep terrain combined with snow anchor options and securing a traverse the camp usa corsa is the best lightweight ice axe. Ice pick for ice and mixed climbing designed for ice axes with modular heads.

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. 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. The black diamond raven is a very simple but classic ice axe. A longer but still lightweight and somewhat technical axe is wanted.

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. While most at home on challenging routes it s still light and comfortable enough to be used by nearly anyone. 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. It s long lightweight and fairly straight so it performs well for general mountaineering and ski touring.

Heavier ice axes allow you to easily hook the pick into ice and snow while climbing steep slopes. 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. If we could only have one ice axe for a wide range of activities the petzl summit evo would be it. Its incomparable modularity means it can also be used for hard ice climbing.

Technical alpine approaches on steep snow and ice where some actual climbing may be required. In this selection of the best ice axes we only listed lightweight ice axes. It is also ideal for lightweight and technical mountaineering. 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.