Grivel Air Tech

Review Date
October 25, 2001

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: Ty Melero(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Yakima

Price Paid:  $110.00 at US Outdoor Store

Summary:
Lighter than any other ice axe in my group. Nice since it also has a steel head instead of aluminum. All who feel is weight want one. It has performed great on many glaciers. This axe has a good feel. Spend the money. It is worth it.

Customer Service:
NA

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
February 5, 2001

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Juan Penalver(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Castellón, Spain

Price Paid:  $100.00 at Spain

Summary:
This is a really good ice axe for easy climbings, in which it's not necessary to carry a technical tool, and weight must be reduced. Also, the quality of the product is very high.

Similar Products Used:
None

Review Date
January 9, 2000

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Reviewed by: Eric Fehlauer(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from Seattle, WA USA

Summary:
NOTE: The picture above this review is wong. It shows the Grivel Air-tech Racing model. The standard, (non-"racing"??) Air-tech has a rubber grip handle, similar to Grivel's water-ice tools, and a more conventional spike, with a hole for a 'biner.

This is a great tool for mountaineering. It is incredibly light, yet very strong, meeting all UIAA specs. It has a well-designed head that self-arrests very well, yet can also be used to hook pretty steep ice. In fact, the pick on this axe grips better ice than almost any other standard mountaineering axe I've seen (side-by side tests with parters' axes confirmed this)

But the real reason to get this axe is it's light wieght. It's my opinion that most people's axes are over-engineered, especially Charlet Moser's mointaineering models. Sure, they are so solidly built that you could will them to your grandchildren, but they are HEAVY. The reality is that you don't need a tool with a steel I-beam for a shaft. The snow you are anchoring in will give way long before the shaft breaks. So why carry the weight?

There are a couple negatives to mention. One is that the head is relatively small. It may not be apparent from a picture, but in person, you'll see that the pick is about 2/3rds the length of a more typical axe, like those from REI. This may mean it self-arrests less well in soft snow. However in a panic stop on hardpan, when milleseconds count, the shorter pick may actually be an advantage, since it gives you better control, reducing the leverage that may twist the pick sideways to the ice.

The other thing I've noticed is that the rubber grip makes it harder to plunge into crust than a smooth metal-shafted axe. This makes it much more fatiguing to use when self-belaying yourself up a hard snow surface. This negative is partially offset by the fact that the rubber grip is easier to hold on to when swinging the handle.

The 'biner holes are also small, and will accomodate only a single 'biner. Some models of oval 'biners, like Black Diamond, have a lip at the gate and will not fit at all.

Bottom line: Lightweight, solid axe, versitile and reliable, but a bit on the small side.