Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe - 2007 BCS

This is my first Ice Axe.

Its light sturdy and did the job for a less than vertical ascent of Owl's Head, NH.

I would buy it again.

It is light, I will give you that, but the light weight and simplicity make it not so ideal for anything but soft snow slogging. If you are using it as a ski axe go small. For general mountaineering, I would rather have something that can actually stick into some ice, this one sure doesn't. But alas, it has served me well for a few years and lots of summits.

Performed as advertised. worth the money, easily.

Great to have while doing Backcountry skiing in chutes such as Y couloir or others in Little Cottonwood. This is not an ice climbing tool, however most people looking for that equipment should know what they are looking for. This is for mountaineering, such as self arresting and glissading. Make sure to get the correct length, I would even go one size longer because i like it to be more stable, but thats more preference

I've toted this thing all over the Cascades. Much better than the 100 lb, circa 1930's axe I was using. It's a light weight and solid tool. The only self arrests I've done with it were for practice and it works well. Not much to it, it does what an ice axe is supposed to do. Not for ice climbing but a good mountaineering tool.

Really light and way better then their raven from 5 years ago. The handle is really easy to hang on to and the adze doesn't cut into your hand. Super solid which is much expected from Black Diamond. Great for scaring the crap out of un-wanted visitors trying to get in your home when not in use on the mountain.

This is the first ice axe I've owned. I opted for the Pro vs. the standard raven to save weight, and not at all disappointed that I spent the extra dough. When you lift and plunge the ice axe hundreds (or thousands) of times on a climb, your shoulder will thank you for a lighter axe. Clearly, this is not the lightest axe, but it seemed like a good compromise and value. Not wishing I had anything different. It's a sturdy piece and the head fits in the hand nicely.

I'm 5'11 and got a 70 cm, which fits me perfectly for general mountaineering.

Very lite. My first ice axe was a heavy one, not this one.

Overall this is the best axe I have owned. I am 6'4 so I ended up getting a 75cm and it has been a great length for me. I use it for climbing peaks in the winter and spring months in Utah. Some have complained about the axe blade not being long enough but I have never had a reason to need more length than the Raven Pro. Its so light! Plus it looks super sleek and sexy.

This tool can make for a super light self arrest piece when ski mountaineering. I would recommend something around 65cm for those of us who are 5'9 to 5'11. Packs light and could very well save you from sliding over that 90 footer below you. If weight matter to you (like most of us that tour) then fork up the extra cash for the pro over the standard raven. You won't regret it.

I upgraded from an old ice axe that weighed too much. Nice feel in my hands and has done a great job with what I need it to do. I went with the BD slider leash which gives me a bit of extra security because I'm always dropping things.

This is the lightest, best looking ice axe you will find. It works great and saves you weight over long hauls. Used on Mt Rainier.

Self-arrests and glissades like a champ, light and lithe. Tapping shaft against balled-up snow off crampons put a few nicks in the paint. Adze, spike and pick are very sharp.

I just used the Raven Pro on a trip up the mighty Mt. Rainier. When you're hauling too many pounds of metal mountaineering gear up a glacial pitch, a superlight axe helps keep you moving. It performed perfectly during ascent probing and support, and grabbed the ice hard during glissades and self-arrest. I love this axe!

Used it on two trips. Light and easy to use, but feels bomber.

I'm only 5'9", but still found the 60cm a bit short. Note that one of ways Black Diamond shaved weight was to make the axe a bit smaller. I'm not chiseling steps, so it doesn't matter to me.

I purchased the Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe recently and have been extremely satisfied with the product. Aiding me in climbing MT Hood, the Raven Pro has a great feel and comfortable swing for placement. Conveniently I did not test its self arrest performance, yet I am confidant in saying it would respond beautifully. The cut in weight from the original Raven is super nice making the Pro easier to hold and carry. If planning on doing numerous trips it would be worth the extra cash.

This was the perfect ticket for a very snowy, icy Mt. Whitney ascent this spring. Had one slip and the axe proved itself with a quick self-arrest. And did I mention it's really light?

This axe is bomber. It is the lightest axe I have ever used, and the grip on the head of the axe is super comfortable. The Spike is very effective, and the adze slices through ice with no problem when new. I held a couple of big falls with this tool, and was very happy with its performance. The only thing that worried me was the thickness of the metal on the shaft. After two days of tapping my crampons to de-ball them, I put a couple of holes in the bottom of the shaft. This is a great tool, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a light all purpose piolet.

This axe is lightweight but fully functional as a non-technical axe. I used it on a ski touring trip for some steep snow pitches and some dry tooling. I am 5'11" and got 55cm, which felt to be a good length for this purpose.

super good and cool