The first thing I noticed about this axe was the drooped pick, which makes the axe more of an oversize vertical-ice tool than a general mountaineering axe. Chris liked the Mazama's glacier-climbing abilities, while Darin and I wanted a more traditional, negative-clearance pick for general mountaineering use and self-arrest.

The Mazama was the most uncomfortable axe to carry on long glacier hauls and approaches, as the head has two pointy crests on top. Leveling out the gripping surface would greatly enhance the axe's performance.

In terms of probing, the shaft has a nice metallic finish that plunged well and felt solid during boot-axe belays. But the attached Spectra leash, threaded through a hole in the shaft 3.5 inches down from the head, got in the way when boot-axe belaying. This can be cut off, however, and a normal leash tied to the head. Because of the pick's positive clearance, I was wary of self-arresting in anything but soft snow, for fear of snagging the pick. The small adze made chopping ledges a chore.

Weight (70 cm): 1 pound, 7.5 ounces
UIAA rating: No rating
Price: $70
Pro: Good prober.
Con: Smallish adze, painful head, positive clearance pick.
Self-arrest: 1.5
Steep snow climbing: 3.5
Durability: 4
(Rating scale, 1  5: 1 = poor, 3 = average, 5 = excellent)
Comparative Ratings Chart

For more information: Metolius, (541) 382-7585

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