Ice Tools

Featured review by Laurids Bartling

Great ice tool for waterfall ice and mixed climbing! Has taken me from Rjukan to the Alps and back again!

Great ice tool! I bought mine used though a friend (so I do not own the newest generation). It's been perfect for me, climbing WI 3-5 and mixed alpine routes. I can't think of much more to wish for in an ice tool. I was so lucky as to get different blades with the tool, so one for training, one for mixed, one for alpine, and one for water ice. Great swing, even without weights. The only thing I wonder about sometimes is that the tool sometimes feels a bit soft when dry tooling, like the blade is a bit loose.

Read more: Petzl Nomic reviews (3)

Reviewed by Jeff J

Ice climbing dream.

For pure WI these are my favorite ice tool to date. The slim pick usually is a one swing wonder, which makes steep climbs less tiring. With my Nomics I feel like I have to battle-axing in to the ice, but not the X-dream even with the "mixed" pick. The handle has two positions ice and Mixed, I keep mine on the ice setting.  The difference is that the mixed sets the handle angle a bit more aggressive.  My only gripe is the little adjustable plastic grip rest on the upper shaft, I broke one off the first day out.

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Reviewed by STW

Great ice tool for pure ice climbing. Even with the add on features (fang, ...), it's not as good as the new specialized tools for dry tooling. And, with their curved shafts, they lose some of their usefulness in alpine settings. You can get by with your Vipers just about anywhere; but they're really in their element on pure waterfall ice. They have a nice weight/heft to them. Not too light, not too heavy. The shape gives really good clearance over bulges. The handle is nicely shaped (hourglass shape gives you great control of the direction of your placement).

Read more: Black Diamond Viper review (1)

Reviewed by FromTimeGoneBy

I have tried a variety of tools through the years. My 4 favorites, you will see a review on each. The Simond Chacal with interchangeable tips (not uncommon these days) was one of the leaders of time gone by. Quality and durability equals my other three favorites too. Nice feel, relatively easy (with the right tools) to change the tips.  Easier to do at the top or start of a climb but possibly mid climb too.  Strongly recommend taking a Craftsman Combination Wrench and grind the open end off then drill a hole.

Read more: Simond Chacal review (1)

Featured review by Jeff J

This is going to be a bit of a comparison between the Petzl Nomic and the Fusion. I have been using both now for the last three years, these are my conclusions. For pure steep ice I prefer the Nomic. It swings less like a battle ax (Fusion being the battle ax) and the pick sticks more securely but yet is easy to remove. BD has some catching up on with their pick tech. The Fusion alway seem to take more effort to get a solid stick, and when it's in it takes a bit to get the pick dislodged.

Read more: Black Diamond Fusion reviews (2)

Reviewed by Nenad

I've bought my new Cassin X-Alp 6 mounts ago and they are great. I've tried them on WI 4-5 even on WI 6 and they were fabulous. I would put them on the same line with Petzl Quarks, just find the handle with finger guard and they would be just perfect for any type of climbing. Previously i had DMM Fly, Simond Naja, also used Quark and Nomic... but i can't compare it with X-Alp. For the money they give the most universal of these ice axes and i just love them a because of that. Although their usage is more for alpine-mix routes but they won't let you down on pure ice routes.

Read more: Cassin X-Alp review (1)

Featured review by FromTimeGoneBy

Last of a series of 4 ice tools, on a "30+ year test". This one lasted longer then the Co did! Sorry Yvon, me without a "smart remark somewhere in the short series" would scare others... (besides, the incident was nothing to do with you or your co anyway... legalese word games.... my opinion anyway...) In this 30+ year test drive, touched on the Simond Chacal, MacInnes-Peck Terrordactyl, and the Forest Moljner.  This leaves the High Quality Pretty Blue Chouinard Ice Axe (did it make up for the "smart remark?").  Mine is a "medium length" so it could cross over between Alpine Axe and Ice Tool.

Read more: Chouinard Equipment Blue Composite Shaft Ice Axe w/Curved Pick reviews (2)

Featured review by FromTimeGoneBy

Part 3 of a 4 tool, 30 yr+ Field Test Hey if they can run cars for a million miles then write a review, why not the 30+ test on outdoor gear.  If gear is good enough to go the long run and still meet expectations equivalent to today's gear. First of the run - Simond Chacal, followed by the MacInnes-Peck Terrordactyl. This one is on the Forest Moljner of the Colorado Climbing world. Mine is a hammer face. Don't remember if they offered it with an adze.  If yes, would have been the smallest ever.  As a ice hammer, works very well.

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Reviewed by FromTimeGoneBy

Ah... the MacInnes-Peck Terrordactyl.... another of my favorite tools. Came in both adze or hammer face.  I opted for the hammer face as it was too short for cutting steps (had either a Chouinard Blue Shaft Composite or a Stubai Aschenbrenner, both with long shafts for such tedium).  A metal tool typically with original paint of silver or black.  Spike at the bottom of the shaft with a biner hole (or sling). A nice steep angle to the pick of good hardness to the metal and high corrosion resistance.

Read more: MacInnes-Peck Terrordactyl review (1)