What is a walking ice axe?
A walking ice axe is, in many ways, the original of its breed. Classic walking ice axes were made of strong wood with a metal spike at the bottom and a relatively flat-topped head on the top. In essence it is a step up from a walking or trekking pole for crossing ice and ascending non-technical stretches of steeper snow or ice. In its earliest form, this evolved from a walking stick but provided the ability to self-arrest (stop oneself from sliding down the mountain) by providing a sharp-edged pick (or adze) on the head to dig into the snow. It also provides the ability to dig steps and the like. If you look at old pictures of climbers in the 1930s or 1950s they used quite primitive (if beautiful) ice axes. Over the years, however, the fashion has been for them to get shorter and shorter and to move progressively away from the old-style walking-stick form of axe. The main reasons for this is that a shorter axe is easier to swing and use and is also quicker to get into action when you a
