Camp XLA 210 Ice Axe 60cm > Reviews > Ideal for ridge walkers

Author's product rating:   

Durability	Durable
Design	Good
Value for money	Excellent

Advantages:	Cheap, relativly light
Disadvantages:	Leash comes off

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Hi,
Having doing hillwalking and low grade rock climbing for a number of years i though i would take the plunge into winter walking. Last year i bought myself a pair of Grivel G10 crampons and the above axe.
The axe is 60cm in length with a wrist lensh on the shaft. The axe head is study and joined to shaft with an eyelet rivet, the same as most axes of this type. The shaft of the axe sounds hollow giving it it's light weight. This does not mean that it is weak, as I used it once as as a hanhold, jaming the axe horizontal across the top of two boulders and hauling myself up on it, the shaft did not bend and their is no sign of cracking.
The shaft appears to have a protective coating on it that also allows for extera grip by having loads of small raised bubbles on it.

The head of the axe, is quit tough, and has not been disfigured and cracked by being used in grade III winter climb on thin ice with hard rock under the ice. When holding the axe head in your hand and putting weight on the head, you will get a sore hand after a while, although this is quit common.

The axe feels fairly comfortable enough, to use when held acros the chest, and the wist strip looks and feels studry enough, The strap can travel from the top of the shaft to almost 3/4 to the bottom of the shaft where it is stopped by a welded on ring that keeps the lease on the shaft. The lease also has a plastic adjustment to make sure it fits the wrist snuggly.

The axe, although light does have enough weight in the head to make penetrating solid ice relativly easy. Having practised on a steep (and yes safe slope) for a while, i felt confident enough to take the Anoch Engich ridge in Glen Coe with in.

After a season of use their is some scratching on the protective coating of the shatt. But these have not rusted. All in all a good axe. But not for pure ice climbing, use it for ridge walks and low grade ice climbs.