Mountain Axe

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The mountaineer's axe is also referred to as the Piolet. It's generally longer than technical ice axe tools and has a sickle-like curved shape to its steel head alpine pick. The piolet evolved from the lengthy "alpenstock" which was a long walking stick with an iron point and hook used for mountain scrambles.

The tip of the pick has a negative-clearance angle which works best for self-arresting - one of the most important functions of this tool.

The head also has an adze, similar to technical ice tools, which is used for many things such as chopping steps, scraping away loose snow and ice, or making rest shelves or small bivi platforms.

There is also a hole in the head between the adze and the pick which can be used for securing the wrist leash or the occassional carabiner when it is required.

Mountain axes are usually 65 to 75 centimetres in length. At the bottom of the shaft there's a pointed dagger for plunging into packed snow as it is used on your uphill side when used as a climbing support or belay device.

In the golden age of mountaineering prior to the advent of fixed crampons and the evolution of "french" and "front pointing" crampon technique, the piolet was indispensable for chopping steps and handholds up steep icy terrain. A notable example is Mount Robson, in which Conrad Kain, the famous Swiss born guide, famously chopped several hundred steps up the steep 60 degree northeast (Kain) face of Mount Robson in its first ascent in 1913.