Grivel Easy Slider 2.0?

[jared_j]

In thinking about the appropriate tool for stuff like Liberty Ridge or N Ridge of Baker, I came across this accessory for Grivel axes (was thinking about a pair of Air Tech Evos).

 

Anyone have experience with this? I can't tell if it would stay 'up' out of the way near the head of the axe easily or be a PITA. It'd be nice to have the option of the trigger from time to time and still have something easy to plunge.

 

I know horses for courses and wouldn't try to use such a tool to climb hard steep stuff.

 

Also wondering if anyone knows if there's a hacky way of getting such a thing to work on BD Venoms.

[SeanO]

I played around with the easy slider and my opinion is that it slides too easily and is difficult to stow at the top of the axe. Ended up buying a pair of Sum'Tec axes instead. Watch this video at the 3 minute mark (the last 30 secs of the vid) and you'll see how it slides down on the axe in the demonstration, and he has to annoyingly pull it back up and hold it.

Edited May 20, 2013 by SeanO

[mikebromberg]

I've played with the easy slider and have also retrofitted a grivel slider on a few tools.

http://www.mikebromberg.com/black-diamond-venom-grivel-slider-mod/

 

I found the easy slider awkward because there is a large plastic bump on the palm (where the leash attaches to. Not to mention the leash itself...

 

[BootsandPants]

I've got one on my Matrix and don't mind it at all. Sure it doesn't rotate as well due to the little plastic bump, but it's good enough for alpine routes where I'd like to be able to plunge the axe in the snow or use piolet canne; something a nomic doesn't to too well. You can always file down that bump if it's really messing with your mojo.

It does not stow at the top of the axe; it slides freely. While this seems like a pain, it's really not. The slider slides up when plunging into snow, and rests at the base of the shaft when not. I like it better than Petzl's locking variation.

[chris]

Seems like an easy fix would be to add an elastic strap to the slider that can be looped over the adze, holding the accessory near the head.

[mikebromberg]

yup. that works well. Grivel even includes this when you buy the slider.

 

[elliottwill]

I'll buy a slider off anyone who doesn't like them.