Ice Tool Terminology and Design

Walking / Mountaineering Axes

The most basic axe is the walking axe (eg. Simond Ocelot). It is the axe taken on snowcraft courses and acts primarily as a walking stick that is plunged through snow for balance. Its pick is referred to as "classically curved" and the axe has an adze for chopping snow and ice.

Pick: Classically curved with few teeth. Not designed for ice climbing as its shape doesn't allow the pick to enter ice easily (and isn't very secure either). Many climbers like the classic curve for self arresting as it gradually bites into hard snow.

Length: Ice axe lengths vary from 60-85cm - obviously taller people prefer longer axes. As a well used rule of thumb, the end of the axe should be just above the ankle when held at the climber's side. Any longer and the axe becomes cumbersome when walking on slopes (as it is held in the uphill hand).

Rubber grips: The advantage of a rubber grip on the shaft is that your fingers won't freeze in cold conditions (although usually you will be holding the head of the axe rather than the shaft). The disadvantages are the axe will be heavier and may be more difficult to plunge through snow.

Axe head: Most of the time the axe is held at the head (top) and pushed into the snow so the feeling of the axe in the palm is important. Picks that have a sharp rise of metal into the palm are uncomfortable to use. (Typically any axe will be comfortable if held with pick facing forward, however most climbers will want the pick to face backwards for quick self arrest). Ideally an axe is perfectly rounded over the head.

Climbers wanting an axe for more serious climbing often use what I shall loosely describe as "gemeral mountaineering axes" (eg. Simond 820). Mountaineering axes usually have straight shafts, as for walking axes, but the picks are designed for moderate ice climbing. The picks have more aggressive teeth and the axe will be more robust, hence heavier for its size.

Technical Axes / Hammers

As soon as a climber expects to climb on their front points they will find advantages in using a technical axe (eg. Simond Naja). And a hammer for the other hand.

A technical axe is a technical axe because it has a reverse curved pick. These picks displace less ice hence making an easier and more secure placement. If you use technical tools on a grade 2-3 alpine climb you will be able to push the picks into the snowpack at waist level rather than swinging the axe above your head - saving energy and time.

Not all technical tools are created equal and this is where we get into the juicier details of ice axe design.

Teeth: There are several shapes of teeth. The most common tooth has a saw-tooth shape, which I refer to as a "classic" tooth. There are also round teeth (semi-circular incuts) that have a higher radius of curvature, which means they are less subject to stress and less likely to crack - which is important at the tip of the pick. Hence Simond picks always have semi-circular teeth at their tips, which is pretty unique. Semi-circular teeth are also very good for hooking on rock flakes and ice crusts (which is why they are used at the back of the pick also). There is no difference in the holding strength of the different teeth in ice.

Teeth at the tip of a pick should be bevelled, which means they appear filed on an angle along their sides. With bevelled teeth the pick won't stick in the ice when you are trying to remove it. Simond bevel their rounded front teeth. Teeth further back are not bevelled since they will only enter softer snowpacks where full holding strength is desirable.

Basic vs Technical Rating: Technical tools have ratings for their shafts and for their picks. Either part can have a (B)asic or (T)echnical rating. It is not a description of what the axe is used for but the strength of the parts for making anchors. Simond technical tools have T rated shafts - which means they can be wedged behind rocks to make an anchor, and B rated picks - which means it is not recommended you cam the pick in a crack and get the leader to take a whipper on it.

Simond, like most other manufacturers prefer B rated picks because they can be made thinner at the tip, allowing much easier penetration into the ice. The picks are forged thicker where they join the axe head for strength. Pick failure on modern tools is very rare.

Other Pick Information: Simond picks are forged metal (forging simply means the thickness of the metal can be varied - in this case thicker where the pick connects to the axe shaft and thinner at the tip). The fastening bolts can be tightened on the mountain using the other ice tool.

Clearance: The first technical tools had straight shafts. After bashing their knuckles against ice, manufacturers put a slight curve in the grip. Both of these designs are now obsolete and the modern tool has a bend two-thirds up the shaft, bringing the head closer to the ice. This is called clearance. It keeps the hand well back from the ice and allows the pick to reach over bulges and lumps in the ice. High clearance is desirable for waterfall ice and alpine ice.

The advantage of a tool with less clearance is in Scottish / Darrans ice climbing - mixed frozen turf and iced cracks. Often the hammer and adze attachments are wedged into cracks and pitons and snargs (pound-in ice screws) are hammered into the mountain. An ice tool with a straighter shaft is more user-friendly for these tasks. An example is the Simond Vautour having only moderate clearance - a balance between rock and ice.

Carved Shaft: Simond are unique in that they use carved shafts, in which the shaft is "pinched" at its bend. Carved shafts have several advantages. In particular the design allows for more power and precision in the swing. There is also less vibration through the axe to shatter ice - it becomes a lower frequency vibration, not totally eliminated because the climber needs to read the security of their placement through vibration. A carved shaft also provides a little extra clearance.

Grip: For most climbers a thinner grip is easier to hold (in the same way it is easier to do a pull up on a thin bar). Usually, the problem with thin rubber grips is they won't have any sort of anatomical finger grooves and they can be so thin they will peel off the shaft if repeatedly plunged through snow. To make a quality grip as thin as feasible, Simond use a "bi-material grip" (eg. Simond Naja) which means the rubber grip emerges from within the metal shaft. Hence the grip is part metal and part rubber. This grip further reduces vibrations within the axe.

We first thought that a limitation of the bi-material grip would be deep winter climbing, but we have found there is sufficient insulation in the grip for any climbing environment. In saying this, the Simond Anaconda grip will have more insulation.

Leashes: The Trac'Up leash has two modes. In ice climbing mode the wrist loop remains tight around the wrist unless the hand is raised above the axe head when it loosens - allowing incredibly quick access to protection without having to use the other hand or teeth to escape the leash. In alpine mode the wrist loop stays tight around the wrist unless manually released.

The Power Trac leash is a detachable leash for the Simond Anaconda. The leash remains attached around the wrist but is removed one handed from the axe shaft to allow access to protection on ice climbs. Such leash systems are often described as 95-99% reliable in securing the climber to the axe (in fact the major practical issue is leashes disconnecting from axes while transported on packs, buses, helicopters - keep them in your pack).

Leashless tools (eg. Simond Coyote) are used for waterfall routes. They have multiple grips so the climber can swap hands, rest arms, and pull a range of gymnastic moves. Well, that used to be the case, now all the top climbers are using them for their alpine routes too.