Best Ice pick

The classic pick has a straight shaft and a straight to slightly curved hoe. In this form, the ice machine is suitable for light to medium terrain. On tours, the pickaxe serves mainly as a replacement for a stick. For this purpose it is equipped with a point (the pickle pin) at the end of the shaft. The classic pick is also used as a tool, for example to ensure a secure grip when climbing on ice and firn flanks. Just as important is the classic pick in emergency situations, where it is used for rescue purposes or as an anchor in a fall. Today’s ice axes usually have an aluminium shaft. This makes the ice machines light and resistant at the same time. Today, ice axes made of wood are hardly ever made. The further development of the ice pick is the so-called hybrid pick. In contrast to the classic, they have a curved shaft. The strength of the curvature indicates which terrain the pick is suitable for. In general, the formula here is: The more extreme and steep the terrain, the greater the curvature of the shaft should be. The same applies to the length of the hybrid pickle: The more demanding the terrain, the shorter the shaft should be.

A simple test can be used to determine which ice pick suits a person best. For this purpose, the person for whom the ice axe is intended lets his arm hang out and takes the ice axe in his hand. The end of the ice pickle should ideally reach just above the ground. Of course, this test is only available in one shop. If you decide to buy an ice axe over the Internet, you can still do this test. For this purpose, the person concerned stands upright as described above (only without ice pick). A second person takes a tape measure to help and measures the distance from the palm of the hand to the ankle. The dimension determined in this way corresponds to the optimum length of the ice pick to be ordered.

The lengths determined by the test are suitable for the purchase of an ice pickle for flat glaciers and snowfields as well as mountaineering tours. Mountaineers who frequently move in steep terrain should choose the ice axe one number shorter than determined. The shorter ice axes have the advantage in steep terrain that they offer the mountaineer better handling. The further equipment of the ice pickle is often a matter of taste. This applies, for example, to the hand strap found on many models. It can be used to fix the ice axe to the hand, which has the advantage, among other things, that the ice axe cannot injure any of its descendants if it is accidentally dropped. There are also some differences in the handles. Some offer a rubberized surface, others a rather rough one, which provides a better hold.