A first winter hill day needs a Type 1 walking axe in the right length. Start with the Black Diamond Raven with Grip, 65 cm.
It comes with a leash from Black Diamond and in five lengths from 55 to 75 cm.
All five axes below carry the rating for walking on the maker’s page. Each linked size is 65 or 66 cm, and the makers sell shorter lengths.
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The five, by what each offers:
- For a leash listed by the maker and five lengths from 55 to 75 cm, choose the Black Diamond Raven with Grip in 65 cm.
- For a one-piece forged steel head and your own choice of leash, choose the Grivel G1 SA in 66 cm.
- For a partly curved shaft in a 400 g axe, choose the Petzl Summit in 66 cm.
- For a removable plastic cover over the blade, choose the Grivel G Zero in 66 cm.
- For the lightest weight of the five, choose the Salewa Alpine-X in 65 cm, which Salewa gives as 375 g.
| Your day out | What to carry |
|---|---|
| You want a leash listed by the maker and five lengths from 55 to 75 cm | Black Diamond Raven with Grip |
| You want a one-piece forged steel head and will choose your own leash | Grivel G1 SA |
| You want a partly curved shaft in a 400 g axe | Petzl Summit |
| You want a removable plastic cover over the blade | Grivel G Zero |
| You want the lightest of the five and 65 cm suits your height | Salewa Alpine-X |
Black Diamond Raven with Grip
You want a leash listed by the maker and five lengths from 55 to 75 cm
Black Diamond Raven with Grip Ice Axe CEN-B certified, one-piece stainless-steel headSlider Leash listed, aluminium shaft, 55 to 75 cm Read the full specification on AmazonBlack Diamond describes the pick’s curve and teeth as engineered for secure self-arrest. The head is one-piece stainless steel with a large hole for a carabiner (a metal clip).
The axe comes with a Slider Leash and is sold in 55, 60, 65, 70 and 75 cm.
The shaft is aluminium with a dual-density molded grip, and the weight is 490 to 550 g across that range.
Grivel G1 SA
You want a one-piece forged steel head and will choose your own leash
Grivel G1 SA Ice Axe One-piece forged steel head, aluminium shaft, Type 1460 g at 66 cm, leash sold separately Read the full specification on AmazonGrivel gives the G1 SA a one-piece forged steel head, shaped to give a natural grip when the axe is held from the top. The shaft is aluminium and the spike is steel.
At 66 cm the G1 SA weighs 460 g, and Grivel sells the leash separately as an add-on.
Petzl Summit
You want a partly curved shaft in a 400 g axe
Petzl Summit Ice Axe Hot-forged steel head, 7075 aluminium shaft, pick and shaft Type 1400 g at 66 cm, leash sold separately Read the full specification on AmazonThe Summit has a hot-forged steel head with a toothed pick and an aluminium shaft. The upper part of the shaft is curved and the lower part is straighter.
The 66 cm axe weighs 400 g.
Petzl sells the leash separately, as the compatible LINKIN.
Grivel G Zero
You want a removable plastic cover over the blade
Grivel G Zero Ice Axe Steel head with removable plastic blade cover, aluminium shaftType 1, 478 g at 66 cm Read the full specification on AmazonGrivel describes the G Zero as a mountaineering axe. The head is steel, the shaft aluminium and the spike steel.
Grivel says the removable plastic blade cover adds comfort during carry and insulation in cold conditions.
The 66 cm axe weighs 478 g.
Salewa Alpine-X
You want the lightest of the five and 65 cm suits your height
Salewa Alpine-X Ice Axe Carbon steel head, 7075 aluminium shaft, straight shaft, pick and shaft B (1)375 g at 65 cm, lengths 53 and 65 cm Read the full specification on AmazonSalewa describes the Alpine-X as an axe for general mountaineering, comfortable to carry in the hand as support on ascents and descents. The head is carbon steel and the shaft aluminium.
Salewa gives 375 g for the 65 cm axe, the lightest of the five by the makers’ figures.
The shaft is straight.
What a walking axe is for
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC), the national body for climbers and hill walkers in England and Wales, names two uses for a walking axe.
The first is extra stability when walking on snow and ice, to help prevent slips and trips.
The second is a means of self-arrest, which is stopping a slide with the axe after a slip.
The Eryri National Park Authority, the public body that runs the park, gives this advice for Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). It says it is impossible to reach the summit in winter conditions without specialised equipment.
It names crampons and ice axes, and knowing how to use them. A walking axe is a different tool from the technical ice tools used for steep ice climbing.
Type 1 and Type 2 ratings
The BMC says modern axes are rated Type 1 or Type 2. The rating applies separately to the pick and the shaft.
Type 1 is the rating for walking and general mountaineering.
The BMC describes these as typically walking or mountaineering axes, suitable for winter walking where reduced weight is important.
Type 2, marked T, covers technical tools with a higher strength pick and shaft, made for technical ice and mixed climbing.
Length by height and use
The BMC says that, depending on their height, most people opt for a walking axe 55 to 65 cm long. A longer shaft helps balance, and a shorter one makes self-arrest easier, so the choice is a compromise.
Older advice says to hold the axe by its head at your side and choose the length that reaches your ankle. The BMC says modern thinking does away with this, because an axe that long is unwieldy and difficult to use.
Plas y Brenin, the National Outdoor Centre in Wales, asks for an axe 55 to 60 cm long on its Welsh winter walking kit list. It should be a walking or mountaineering axe, not a light ski-touring axe or a technical climbing axe.
Every axe linked here is the 65 or 66 cm size, at or above the top of the BMC range, so it suits taller walkers.
For a shorter walker, the makers sell these sizes:
| Axe | Shorter sizes |
|---|---|
| Black Diamond Raven with Grip | 55 and 60 cm |
| Grivel G1 SA | 53 and 58 cm |
| Petzl Summit | 52 and 59 cm |
| Grivel G Zero | 58 cm |
| Salewa Alpine-X | 53 cm |
Leash or no leash
The BMC calls a leash a personal choice. It suggests buying one, trying the axe with and without, and seeing what you prefer.
A leash makes step cutting easier and more precise, and means you will not lose the axe. It is awkward when you zigzag up or down a slope and need to keep changing hands with the axe.
The Raven comes with a leash, while the Grivel G1 SA and the Petzl Summit are sold without one.
Grivel’s G Zero page shows it with a leash; check the Amazon listing that yours includes it. For the Alpine-X, check the listing for what comes in the box.
Practise before you buy
The BMC says to learn how to self-arrest with your axe and always to pick somewhere safe to practise.
Learn how to self-arrest with the axe before you rely on it.
For a first lesson, Plas y Brenin runs a two-day Welsh Winter Skills course in Snowdonia. It covers ice axe and crampon technique and self-arrest, and it still runs if there is no snow.
Plas y Brenin also hires equipment on site at no extra cost, so the lesson can come before the purchase. The BMC also suggests a qualified guide as another way to learn.
We compile and explain public route and safety information. We guide nobody and sell nothing on the hill.
Which axe for which walker
In winter the Eryri National Park Authority publishes Ground Conditions Reports for Yr Wyddfa. Read the latest before a winter day. Read about Snowdon in winter and staying safe in Snowdonia before you go.
- Taller walker: the Black Diamond Raven with Grip, 65 cm.
- Shorter walker: the Raven in 55 or 60 cm, or any other axe in a size from the length table.
- Lightest axe, if 65 cm suits you: the Salewa Alpine-X.
- A leash you choose yourself: the Grivel G1 SA or the Petzl Summit.
- Never used an axe: take the course first, and hire kit on site before you buy.
For most walkers the axe to buy is the Black Diamond Raven with Grip. Take 65 cm if you are taller and 55 or 60 cm if you are shorter.
