Ice Axe or Ice Tools

[AlpineEd]

For routes requiring two tools (ex: Liberty Ridge, Forbidden Peak, Mt.Baker North Ridge) would you recommend 1 standard ice axe & 1 ice tool(hammer) or a matched pair of ice tools(adze&hammer)?

Thanks

[Tom_Sjolseth]

If you plan on placing any pro (like deadman anchors), it is helpful to have an adze. It can also be helpful to have a hammer to pound things in (like a piton or a picket placed vertically in hard snow). For this reason, it's best to go with a hammer and adze on moderate alpine routes.

 

I usually bring a mountaineering axe if I have a long glacier slog to get to the route. If there isn't a long snow approach (or glacier travel), and I'm climbing steep (50+ degree) snow/ice straight from the start, then I bring two tools.

[t_rutl]

Tom hit it.

 

longer primary axe since the majority of travel on those routes will be a glacier travel...a longer technical moutaineering axe (grivel air tech evo, BD venom, ect.)...pair it wich a second tech tool (grivel matrix light, another BD venom, cobra, petzl aztarex or anything you want)

[AlpineEd]

Thanks for the advice. What do you think of BD Venom standard length adze paired with BD Venom hammer 50cm?

[tomtom]

I have a pair of Venoms (64cm adze and 50cm hammer) that I use as my alpine set. They work great for me. You're not going to want to hang around on the standard leashes, but normal alpine routes rarely have long stretches of steep ice. Also the adze tool comes with the classic curve pick. The reverse curve pick does stick and clean easier, but the classic pick does work.

[t_rutl]

Thanks for the advice. What do you think of BD Venom standard length adze paired with BD Venom hammer 50cm?

 

you'd be happy with it and it'd get ya up the routes you hope to conquer a-ok

[AlpineEd]

I appreciate the advice from everyone who responded. I purchased the BD Venoms earlier this pm. Thanks!!!