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The Right-Size Ice Axe
Jeremy's Question:
My parents gave me a 60cm mountaineering axe for my graduation from college. I am 6' tall. Is this too short for me, and if it is what should I do? I can't send it back. They have policies against that.
— Jeremy Austin
Don's Answer:
The length of an effective ice tool depends mainly on what you intend to do with it. On Northwestern volcanoes, for example, the tool is used mainly to aid uphill walking, probe weaknesses in the snow, or self-arrest in the event of a fall. Guide services recommend a 70 cm axe here. As the routes become steeper and more technical, the shorter 60 or 55 cm axe works well, though it becomes less useful as a walking stick. On steep water ice (opposed to glacial ice, which is compacted snow), climbers opt for two shorter hand tools. These are nearly useless for the mountaineering functions like walking, belaying, probing, or self-arresting, but they are the norm for the steep stuff that requires hanging on the tools. Your 60 cm tool might serve as a good compromise, though if you specialize in one end of this climbing spectrum or the other, or if you aspire to do hard routes at either end of the spectrum, you might wish to add to your arsenal.
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