Grivel G1 Review
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Good price, excellent self arresting performance, decent steeper snow climbing ability, comfortable to carry
Cons: Just okay steep snow climbing ability, marginally on the heavier side
Manufacturer: Grivel
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Grivel G1 | |||||
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| Awards |  | ||||
| Price | $79.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $139.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers | $129.99 at Amazon | $119.95 at REI Compare at 3 sellers | $119.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Good price, excellent self arresting performance, decent steeper snow climbing ability, comfortable to carry | Hot-forged pick penetrates snow and ice extremely well, no-teeth on gripping area of pick, curved shaft and teardrop/oval shaped shaft excel in steeper terrain, exceptional self-arrest performance, one of the best overall adze designs | Best steep snow climbing performance, durable, penetrates hard ice well, excellent self-arrest and steep snow climbing performance | CEN-T rating, rad FlickLock style slider pommel, curved shaft keeps hands warmer and drier during steep snow climbs, heavy tapered pick provides great support/purchase during normal conditions, huge spike | Hot-forged pick, excellent self-arrest performance, fantastic adze design, below average weight particularly for an all-mountain option, solid steep snow climbing ability |
| Cons | Just okay steep snow climbing ability, marginally on the heavier side | A little on the heavier side | Expensive, slightly on the heavier side, like its slider pummel but wished it could be placed in more positions along the shaft | Heavy, expensive, wide pick is strong but doesn't penetrate ice as well as some | Slightly more expensive side, not the best ice performance |
| Bottom Line | Well-designed and solid, the G1 features high quality materials and is friendly on the bank account | If we could only own one ice axe, this would be it | One of the best all-around mountaineering axes out there, it just narrowly missed our Editors' Choice Award | This burly ice axe is everything you could want for challenging glacier routes and steep snow climbs | Incredibly versatile, there are very few mountaineering objectives that this model doesn't perform well on |
| Rating Categories | Grivel G1 | Petzl Summit Evo | Grivel Air Tech Evolution | Black Diamond Swift | Petzl Summit |
| Self Arresting (15%) | |||||
| Digging & Step Chopping (15%) | |||||
| Use As Improvised Anchor (15%) | |||||
| Steep Ice & Snow (25%) | |||||
| Comfort To Carry (5%) | |||||
| Weight (25%) | |||||
| Specs | Grivel G1 | Petzl Summit Evo | Grivel Air Tech... | Black Diamond Swift | Petzl Summit |
| Measured Weight | 16.7 oz / 473g | 14.1 oz / 400g | 15.2 oz / 430g | 17 oz / 487g | 12.6 oz / 360g |
| Category | General | General | General | General/Technical | General |
| Rating | CEN-B | CEN-B | CEN-B | CEN-T | CEN-B |
| Pick Shape, Material, and Construction | Hot-forged steel, classical neutral | Hot-forged steel, Classic Positive curve | Hot-forged chromoly steel, classic positive curve | Hot-forged stainless steel, classic positive curve | Hot-forged steel, Classic Positive curve |
| Lengths Available | 58, 66, 74 cm | 52, 59, 66 cm | 48, 53, 58, 66 cm | 50, 57, 64 cm | 52, 59, 66 cm |
| Included Pommel or Leash? | Leash | Lower Rubber Grip | Pommel and leash | Pommel | No |
| Hammer Option | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Shaft Design | Straight | Bent | Bent | Bent | Bent |
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
The Grivel G1 is best for general mountaineering applications and is suitable for early season backpacking or ski mountaineering, but is a little heavy. It has okay steep snow climbing ability for more difficult routes, but if you plan to climb steep snow and ice routes more regularly, we would recommend the Petzl Summit Evo or the Grivel Air Tech Evolution.
Self-Arresting
The G1 earns a decent score in this metric. Our testers thought the G1's hot-forged pick bit into firm snow extremely well in addition to very good soft snow performance. We appreciated that the curved shaft self-arrested better than a straight shaft and, as a result, offered good performance in this metric.
Steep Ice and Snow Climbing Performance
The G1 was okay for steep snow and ice climbing performance and was slightly above average overall. The G1's pick isn't super aggressive (one reason it self-arrests so well) but was aggressive enough for moderate snow and ice routes.
Use As Improvised Anchor
The G1 is a CEN B rated ice axe, meaning it is suitable to be used as a deadman or in a "T-slot" type situation for moderate loads. We thought the G1 featured a well-designed pick that helped facilitate the axe to be driven into the snow for self-anchoring or as a backup while belaying on snow. The only thing our testers didn't love is that the hole on in the head of the G1 is a little difficult to clip and doesn't work super well with all carabiners.
Digging Step Chopping
The G1 offers above-average performance when hacking out icy tent platforms and digging anchors. It features a well designed hot-forged adze that chipped away firm and icy snow noticeably easier than the similarly priced Black Diamond Raven.
Comfort to Carry
The G1 was average to carry overall among ice axes in our review. Like many European models, our testers felt it was a little more comfortable to carry in self-belay (pick forward or piolet manche) position. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable in self-arrest position; it just wasn't as comfortable as the Black Diamond Raven, Raven Pro, or the Petzl Glacier.
Value
The G1 remains an excellent value considering its hot-forged high-quality pick and construction.
Conclusion
The G1 performed better in nearly every category compared to the similarly priced models.
— Ian Nicholson