What length Ice axe?

[curiousaurus]

I'm 5'9". Is a 60cm straight ice axe okay? If not, what length ice axe is right for me for medium/steep inclines?

[Giant hills]

That should be a good length. I am 5,7 and use a 55cm. I would suggest going to rei or something and with it in hand and your arms fully extended. Because it also depends if your arms are short or long. General rule of thumb is it should come to about lower portion of your calf to the top of your ankle. If your using it for steep inclines. If that’s not possible use a tape measurer. A little shorter is always better if you plan to use it for steep inclines and technicality.

[JQDivide]

Maybe....
(this has as much to do with your height as it does with the length of your arms.)
When you stand straight up and hold the ax down by your side, where does the "spike" end hang?
If it touches the ground it's too long. Not supposed to be a cane.
Some where near your ankle is good.

[jaymz]

I’m 5’9” and use a 70cm, because that’s what passes the old spike-ankle test. But I don’t use it much if the slope exceeds about 40-45*, because it’s just a little too long and sucks to have to pull way up to get it out of the snow. At that point I use a 57cm BD Venom that works great, two on slopes around 50*.
In addition to what others have said, it kinda depends on what you want to climb, and what you mean by ‘medium/steep.’

[TallGrass]

Not supposed to be a cane.

Um, many will disagree. Length is determined by the slope so if you're doing a lot of walking on fairly flat ground it'll be as long as a walking cane, but to keep your hand from being over your shoulder or head when placed uphill, you go with a shorter-for-steeper not unlike shortening adjustable trekking poles when going uphill.

Historically, axes were quite "long" and mellow angles popular (snow baskets were an option for a lot of those older longer axes; see "alpen stocks" too), but as more climbers got into steeper terrain, shorter axe demand and offerings grew. In turn, the arc of a swung pick is tighter so its curve tightened as well. Those are the basics, though there are more variables for pick shape, shaft rating, material, spike, adze/hammer, sport/ice climbing, and so on. A basic or standard axe on the longer side will go a long way on CO 14ers for more months of the year, a staple to many an axe quiver, so don't think money on an "ankle axe" will be wasted. You might later find an additional short and lightweight one nice for crossing steeper snow gullies in summer but not being a tree branch snagging "antenna" when on your pack. All about picking the right tool for the task.

And if an axe for medium-steep snow travel is new to you, please get up to speed with self-arrest as well as crampons and techniques on some mellower terrain first.

Here's a peek at picking a pick per interest piqueing peak.

IceAxeLengthPickConcept.JPG (12.74 KiB) Viewed 3976 times

[FireOnTheMountain]

snow travel is really all about comfort level and many can walk 30 to 35 deg with just a pole or two. Generally speaking, the longer the axe the more secure feeling its going to feel especially when you are very new to snow. Personally, Im a huge fan of my older version 55cm hybrid BD venom and almost certainly wont ever buy anything longer (i'm 5'-11" for ref).

A straight shaft, 60cm+ allows you to basically get more weight on the shaft and its just easier to bury into the snow. A shorter axe quickly becomes advantageous when the going gets 50+ deg. as theres less material to plunge and pull back out therefore conserving energy. A shorter axe also fits nicely on a pack and a pole/axe combo is killer on hard packed 40+. Again, all comfort level.

To answer your question if you are just starting out and looking to go on 30-45 snow I'd probably start with your run of the mill 60cm straight shafts, Get some vert with those and see how you feel about snow,etc Then upgrade to a short hybrid haha. Just my opinion.

A side note on the new BD venom (or maybe this is old news)....it appears they added a pinky guard on the new models which is removeable and helps to lessen the chance of pumping yourself out on steeper almost near vertical terrain. Also decreases your self arresting capabilities greatly in anything short soft pack if your curious.

[Monster5]

I'd probably start with your run of the mill 60cm straight shafts

What advantage do you see in a straight shaft that you don't see in a slightly curved modern ice ax? I don't see any and tend to view true straight shafts as outdated. In CO anyways - we don't have much in the way of low angle glacier walking.

Agree otherwise. Prefer the pole and ax combo for low angle and something mid calf or as short as possible for steeper. You can use an ax however you want, including as a cane, but pole/ax is more versatile in my experience. I have a quiver of axes and tools, but often find myself reaching for the shortest, lightest, and lowest profile option. Nice for scrambling and such.

Speaking of which, if any newer sort wants a good condition Raven Pro ice ax (mid ankle on 5'4" wife) and can pick it up hassle free from Golden/Lakewood area, it's yours.

[Scott P]

What advantage do you see in a straight shaft that you don't see in a slightly curved modern ice ax?

I see three or four possible advantages to the straight shaft axes, but only the last one is of much importance.

The are cheaper. Of course this is no big deal if you use an axe regularly since ice axes tend to last a long time.

I prefer to glissade and self arrest with my straight shaft axe, though the difference is fairly negligible. Maybe this is just what I’m used to and a long ingrained habit and maybe it is just the axe itself (?). This one is failry negligible and of not much importance.

In theory, plunging should work better with a straight shaft, but I haven't noticed that much difference.

The biggest reason for me though is that the straight shaft axes tend to come in more sizes, though I haven’t shopped for an axe in a while and this may have changed. For the non-technical snow slogs, if you are six feet tall or taller, it was harder to find a curved shaft axe long enough for gentle terrain/slogs, though as mentioned maybe this has changed.

Of course the curved axes certainly have many other advantages.

[JQDivide]

so if you're doing a lot of walking on fairly flat ground it'll be as long as a walking cane

get some trekking poles....

[FireOnTheMountain]

What advantage do you see in a straight shaft that you don't see in a slightly curved modern ice ax? I don't see any and tend to view true straight shafts as outdated.

Agree that a straight shaft is little outdated. Only reason I said go with the straight shaft is I don't think they make hybrids longer than like 55cm and a novice is probably going to want to start with something longer than that.

[TallGrass]

I see three or four possible advantages to the straight shaft axes ... I prefer to glissade and self arrest with my straight shaft axe ... In theory, plunging should work better with a straight shaft ... straight shaft axes tend to come in more sizes

+1 to plunging the spike. A straight shaft allows for a hand on either side for a straight down push, whereas only the adze is likely to line up on a curved. If you have to pound it a couple times, you're more likely to have a straight bore, a better anchor than a wallowed out bore. If you clip the head, the more off axis it is, the more torque it will have to twist an oval hole into a looser circle. If you clip to a sling on the shaft, a bent one will also induce torque until it's arced downhill facilitating removal. Probably nil difference for a T-slot after you stomp the snow on it, but if plunging to go right up a snow gully, I like straight.

Petzl's Glacier vs. Summit ice axes. Visualize trying to plunge a straight hole down with each, one or two handed.

[d_baker]

^ But how often are you climbing snow that is soft enough to plunge deep enough to get to the curved portion?
Not sure I would agree on your anchor scenario either, since the surface contact of the shaft of either axe will likely be sufficient and safe for a simple belay. If you're using the axe for an anchor where fall/slide potential threat is that great, maybe you should consider a second piece to the anchor set up. ??
But moot points, because I bet all of this would be over the top for the op since he/she isn't sure what to look for in an axe.