Lightest T Rated Ice Axe
If you re getting your first ice axe for a high altitude adventure you do need to think about the type of outdoor activity your.
Lightest t rated ice axe. Its tapered banana shaped pick and the trigrest handrest adjustable without a tool ensure the performance required on technical sections. It features an aluminum shaft and an aluminum head. At the bottom of the shaft there is also a spike for penetrating ice and snow while. 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.
They generally have a bent shaft and t rated more technical pick. Of all the tools a mountaineer carries the ice axe is perhaps the most iconic. A cen b rated axe has to withstand 2 5kn and a cen t has to endure 3 5kn. The shaft is optionally equipped with a sliding leash which allows you to secure the ice axe to your wrist or climbing harness.
These axes are great for snow and can handle chopping steps in ice or other small ice scenarios. A t rated axe is ideal for vertical assents but they can be heavy to carry for long assents. These axes are for tougher conditions when the majority of climbing is on snow but the axe needs to be able to handle a short ice wall. The strength of the head shaft interface when being pulled perpendicularly as if it was a vertically placed anchor or standing ice axe belay a cen b has to withstand 2 5kn and a cen t has to withstand 4kn.
Ultra light ice axe for technical mountaineering and steep skiing ultra light at only 280 g the gully ice axe is designed for technical mountaineering and steep skiing. For climbing frozen waterfalls or dry tooling a t rated axe is mandatory. 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. It s also the central piece of gear in rei s origin story.
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. For general mountaineering you can get by with a b rated tool but for technical alpine routes a t rated tool is highly recommended. The petzl glacier literide is a compact and lightweight ice axe for ski mountaineering and glacier travel.