Page 34 - 2022 AMA Summer

REVIEWS
When the picks wear down and become blunt, they can be sharpened easily with a file and a little patience. Continually doing this will, however, shorten the length of the pick over time and can affect their use on the mountain. Some axes allow for the removal of picks and the adze, making them a more environmentally friendly method of maintaining your kit as you won’t need to buy an entirely new axe when these parts wear out.
My first axe was a Grivel Munro and it is still going strong. Practically inde- structible, it has been to the Alps and on numerous Scottish winter trips. As you can tell by the name, it was designed with Scottish winter walking in mind. They’re still produced and for many this is their go to walking axe. It isn’t the lightest, but it certainly isn’t the heaviest. The DMM Cirque (available through the AMA gear deal) is another great axe that will last forever but does sit at the slightly heavier end of the spectrum. The Petzl Summit or Sum’Tec are more technical mountain- eering axes and can have an additional
trigger rest added making the effort to hold them much less.
My first climbing axes were DMM Venoms. In the early 2000s these ice tools were top of the range with straight shafts and drop picks. Climbing with these tools required a lot of grip strength, and as design and research developed, these have been phased out of DMM’s product line
up. The DMM Flys are now their
entry level climbing ice tools and
are reasonably priced. If these don’t suit your needs, Petzl Quarks are often seen on the mountain alongside the Black Diamond Vipers. Personally, I use Edelrid Riots now.
So, what would I recommend you do if you’re in the market for an axe? Keep all this in mind and go and try them in a shop. Like boots, what will ‘fit’ you might not ‘fit’ someone else and the only way to know is to get your hands on one. Even better ask to borrow a friend’s axe that you might think will be suitable to see if it is any good for you.
Edelrid Riots with Hammer
Black Diamond Viper
All AMA members receive a special discount of TRADE + VAT which is approximatley 30% off SRP. If you run a Unit Climbing Club contact us to set up a Unit account to receive the same deal! We also offer a RoSPA certified PPE Inspection course, why not use your SLC to offset the cost? We are able to provide access to other top brands for expeditions, please contact us for details.
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AM3A4A/5 AdvRerMt WYintMer 1O9.iUndNd T1 AINEER
26/09/2019
15:42:00