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Posted

As follow-up to the recent thread on Alpine Ice Tools.... I'm all worked up into a froth to get a pair of technical axes for Alpine Ice.(Lib ridge, etc...). I see the shafts can be bought straight or bent. For Alpine Ice should they both have bent shafts.. or is it good to mix 1 straight and 1 bent? Also I've heard of bringing one technical ice hammer and then a std 70cm axe.

Thanks for the feedback. With all the straight/bent shaft lingo I hope this thread doesn't get too far off topic!!!

-Ted

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Posted

Ted, I'd go for something with an old school bend like the Pulsar (get the evolution and you can change shafts around!!). The new curved shafts like on the Quark etc. are too tough to shaft plunge in neve. On the steeper stuff though, a pure mtn. axe with a straight shaft can be a bitch to swing. Try both (borrow from a climbing buddy if you can, or rent)and go with what you prefer. Those long mtn axes are nice for probing for crevasses though, and in the slop the extra length can make an axe belay that much safer.

Posted

Bent shafts vary alot. Some have bends near the head, some near the spike. Needless to say, a bend near the head will be better for alpine stuff because the straight bottom section will function just like a normal shaft. The bend will save your knuckles alot of bashing and allow you to clear bulges easier. It is harder to use the hammer on a bent shaft tool, but you'll probably be carrying a third tool anyway...just make it a short straight hammer.

Posted

ted,

well if you have bent shafts like the shrikes, where the bend is in the lower part of the shaft is bent as apose to the top part like the cobras, they works fine plunging into snow and neve. i pluged with my bent shaft Black prophets all the way up stuart glaicer couloir and had no problem.

it all depends on what you are planning on doing the most. if you are really just buying them to do alpine stuff you should consider just buying them with a strait shaft (in really hard snow the would go in easier) but if you want them to do everything then buy them with the bent shaft. this will prevent unwanted bashing of the fingers, when on steep alipne ice.

Aidan

[This message has been edited by highclimb (edited 08-01-2001).]

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