Great buy

By Brian G. Sweeney Ranked #216 - Backcountry Snowboarding June 29, 2009

This is a great buy for anyone getting into winter hiking / ski mountaineering. I use this axe primarily while climbing up Tuckerman Ravine in NH. It really gives you great confidence as your clambering up a slope so steep that your knees dig into the snow in front of you. I've seen many people fall the whole way down various aspects of the headwall after loosing their footing and I have to say that the only times I was ever concerned loosing my footing was when I hadn't yet pulled out the ice ax. It really gives you a great deal of extra balance and leverage on steep and slick ascents. You can find this one on sale relatively often as well. I got mine form REI for about 60 bucks and I've seen it at EMS and backcountry.com for similar prices.

View Details: Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe

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