Ratings Overview - Ice Ax
Total 15 products tested
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up to 5		 Products sorted by Overall Rating score List Price Score 0-100 Self-arresting Digging & Step chopping Use as improvised Anchor Steep ice and snow Comfort to carry Weight
Petzl Summit

 Petzl Summit
The Petzl Summit is winner of our OutdoorGearLab Editors' Choice for the best all around ice axe because it scores at, or near the top of every comparison category. The Summit is also lighter than...  read more >
$150

Editors' Choice Award
100
0
89
 Self-arresting - 10 of 10
10		 Digging & Step chopping - 10 of 10
10		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 8 of 10
8		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 8 of 10
8
Petzl Summit Evo

 Petzl Summit Evo
The Petzl Summit Evo is one of our top scoring ice axes and is very similar in design to our Editors' Choice award winner the Petzl Summit featuring an identical pick and adze, but the Evo features...  read more >
$175

Top Pick Award
100
0
87
 Self-arresting - 10 of 10
10		 Digging & Step chopping - 10 of 10
10		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 9 of 10
9		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 6 of 10
6
Grivel Evolution

 Grivel Air Tech Evolution
The Grivel Air Tech Evolution (often shorted to Grivel Evo) is one of our former award winners that remains an excellent all-around axe that is designed down to the finest detail. It was our...  read more >
$187
100
0
86
 Self-arresting - 10 of 10
10		 Digging & Step chopping - 10 of 10
10		 Use as improvised Anchor - 10 of 10
10		 Steep ice and snow - 9 of 10
9		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 5 of 10
5
Petzl Sum'Tec Ice Axe

 Petzl Sum'Tec
The Petzl Sum'tec is a true hybird ice axe of a traditional ice axe and an ice tool. The Sum'tec features a modular (read interchangeable and replaceable) durable hot forged pick with a fixed adze...  read more >
$200

Top Pick Award
100
0
85
 Self-arresting - 8 of 10
8		 Digging & Step chopping - 10 of 10
10		 Use as improvised Anchor - 10 of 10
10		 Steep ice and snow - 10 of 10
10		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 6 of 10
6
Petzl Glacier Literide

 Petzl Glacier Literide
The Petzl Glacier Literide is our OutdoorGearLab Top Pick award winner for the best "Ultralight" ice axe. The Literide was our winner because it features a well designed and super high quality pick...  read more >
$100

Top Pick Award
100
0
85
 Self-arresting - 9 of 10
9		 Digging & Step chopping - 9 of 10
9		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 7 of 10
7		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 9 of 10
9
Petzl Glacier

 Petzl Glacier
The Petzl Glacier is a fantastic ice axe for an excellent price and was nearly the winner of our OutdoorGearLab Best Buy award. We actually think the Glacier is a better ice axe than our award...  read more >
$100
100
0
83
 Self-arresting - 9 of 10
9		 Digging & Step chopping - 9 of 10
9		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 7 of 10
7		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 8 of 10
8
Black Diamond Venom

 Black Diamond Venom
The Black Diamond Venom is a modular ice axe that excels in more complex terrain and on steeper routes and blurs the lines between an ice axe and ice tool. The Venom has two pick options: The...  read more >
$150
100
0
81
 Self-arresting - 7 of 10
7		 Digging & Step chopping - 10 of 10
10		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 10 of 10
10		 Comfort to carry - 10 of 10
10		 Weight - 4 of 10
4
Grivel G1

 Grivel G1
The Grivel G1 is a solid, well designed ice axe that is made of high quality materials for a sweet $100 price tag. The G1 was above average in nearly every one of our comparison categories and is a...  read more >
$100
100
0
78
 Self-arresting - 9 of 10
9		 Digging & Step chopping - 8 of 10
8		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 8 of 10
8		 Comfort to carry - 9 of 10
9		 Weight - 5 of 10
5
CAMP Corsa Nanotech

 CAMP Corsa Nanotech
The CAMP Corsa Nanotech is a super unique ice axe that is the second lightest in our review on one of the overall lightest weight CEN-B rated axes out there. What makes the Corsa Nanotech so unique...  read more >
$160

Top Pick Award
100
0
75
 Self-arresting - 7 of 10
7		 Digging & Step chopping - 4 of 10
4		 Use as improvised Anchor - 8 of 10
8		 Steep ice and snow - 8 of 10
8		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 10 of 10
10
Black Diamond Raven Ultra Ice Axe

 Black Diamond Raven Ultra
The Black Diamond Raven Ultra is a lighter than average ice axe that is extremely comfortable to carry for long periods of time. The Raven Ultra used to be one of our award winners and we still...  read more >
$110
100
0
75
 Self-arresting - 8 of 10
8		 Digging & Step chopping - 7 of 10
7		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 5 of 10
5		 Comfort to carry - 10 of 10
10		 Weight - 8 of 10
8
Compare
up to 5		 Products sorted by Overall Rating score List Price Score 0-100 Self-arresting Digging & Step chopping Use as improvised Anchor Steep ice and snow Comfort to carry Weight
Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe

 Black Diamond Raven Pro
The Black Diamond Raven Pro is the lighter cousin of the mega-popular Black Diamond Raven. The Raven Pro has all the same features but is 2 ounces lighter and $20 more expensive. The Raven Pro along...  read more >
$100
100
0
73
 Self-arresting - 8 of 10
8		 Digging & Step chopping - 7 of 10
7		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 6 of 10
6		 Comfort to carry - 10 of 10
10		 Weight - 6 of 10
6
Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe

 Black Diamond Raven
This is a popular ice axe because of its good general mountaineering abilities and excellent price and is the winner of our OutdoorGearLab Best Buy Award. Along with the rest of the Black Diamond...  read more >
$80

Best Buy Award
100
0
71
 Self-arresting - 8 of 10
8		 Digging & Step chopping - 7 of 10
7		 Use as improvised Anchor - 9 of 10
9		 Steep ice and snow - 6 of 10
6		 Comfort to carry - 10 of 10
10		 Weight - 5 of 10
5
CAMP Neve

 CAMP Neve
The CAMP Neve is a solid ice axe for a great price. The Neve comes with a built-in leash and it is the best priced leash/axe combo I tested. It is a classic mountaineering ice axe with an extremely...  read more >
$80
100
0
71
 Self-arresting - 9 of 10
9		 Digging & Step chopping - 8 of 10
8		 Use as improvised Anchor - 7 of 10
7		 Steep ice and snow - 6 of 10
6		 Comfort to carry - 6 of 10
6		 Weight - 6 of 10
6
SMC Capra Ice Axe

 SMC Capra
The Seattle Manufacturing Company (SMC) Capra ice axe is a great value for a fantastic general mountaineering axe. It is one of the most comfortable axes to carry and is one of the better and...  read more >
$85
100
0
70
 Self-arresting - 9 of 10
9		 Digging & Step chopping - 7 of 10
7		 Use as improvised Anchor - 7 of 10
7		 Steep ice and snow - 6 of 10
6		 Comfort to carry - 9 of 10
9		 Weight - 5 of 10
5
CAMP Corsa Ice Axe

 CAMP Corsa
This is the lightest CEN B-rated ice axe in the world. It is made of 100 percent aluminum and the head is hot forged to dramatically increase its strength and durability. That said, aluminum still...  read more >
$120
100
0
62
 Self-arresting - 5 of 10
5		 Digging & Step chopping - 4 of 10
4		 Use as improvised Anchor - 8 of 10
8		 Steep ice and snow - 4 of 10
4		 Comfort to carry - 8 of 10
8		 Weight - 10 of 10
10
Compare
up to 5		 Products sorted by Overall Rating score List Price Score 0-100 Self-arresting Digging & Step chopping Use as improvised Anchor Steep ice and snow Comfort to carry Weight
Compare Products Side-by-Side
Total 15 tested