Grivel Alp Wing

Not simply waterfall tools adapted to alpinism - the Alp Wing ice tools have been developed specifically for technical climbing on all of the world's mountains. The modular head is hot-forged from Chromoly steel The shaft permits good 'clearance' to overcome any bulges without levering the pick out of the ice while the lower part of the shaft is relatively straight to penetrate hard snow easily. The natural rubber grip is flush with the shaft - so suited climbers with smaller hands The Easy-G leash provides brilliant support on steep terrain but is quick to open with a gentle sideways pull. Shaft length: 50cm Weight: 679g each

Site	Price	Postage	Total
	£120.00	£3.90	£123.9

   User Reviews

General comments: With so many axes out there how do you choose the ones that are right for you? Well if your main sport is steep water ice climbing these probarly are not the ones for you. But if Scottish mixed is you thing with some ice climbing thrown in when conditions are good, you could do alot worse than these. The shaft has a slight curve at the top good for clearing buldges alowing you to get better or more variety of placements. With the shaft being relatively straight it is also good for plunging, great for those steep snow slopes leading to the bottom of slopes or for exiting up to the plateau on ground where the pick will just slide through. A good upgrade for these tools is to buy the horn. This fits on the bottom of the shaft and stops battered knuckles. The supplied goulotte picks are superb. They are super strong and really inspire confidence when torquing hard. With the axe being quite heavy but very well balanced it swings really well giving good solid placements with very little effort in the swing. The weight also helps when bashing in a peg with the hammer again effort is minimised. I have not really used the adze much but again it is super strong which feels good when torquing with it but it is quite small when it comes to cutting steps. The axe head is very simple but works well clamping the pick tight. Just make sure you tighten it up well or they can come loose but thats easy sorted with a small spanner. The leash is really good it is very comfortable and holds your wieght well but can get a bit tight. It can be set with the loop around the shaft allowing it to be released almost to easily or without the loop to keep them a bit more secure. My advice would be to swing these around a bit and you will soon realise what a well balance axe this is with it being slightly longer than other axes it helps with reach to.

Pros: Strong well balance excellent scottish mixed tool

Cons: Bashed knuckles can be a problem and the leash can be a bit tight.

General comments: Grivel Alp Wing Axe is a great mountain axe, I have used them on several peak ascents where they came in real handy when the ice got steep. They are slighly curved which makes them nice to swing when coming up over a bulge or topping out on a lip. I use the Evolution Pick which I find agressive enough but not over the top. I climbed with a Alpwing Hammer and a Black Diamond Prophet, but after a few climbs I bought the matching adze and now I have a pair. The Alpwing is a reasonably priced, all around great axe, with its 53 cm shaft the axes work perfectly for me. The curve is gently enough that I can still use the axes for general mountain travel as well until the ice gets steep and that is when these axes do shine. In a nutshell I would have no hesitation in recommending these axes to any climber at any skill level. I am sure you will be just as happy as I was.

Pros: Fairly lightweight but not too light to affect the swing, reasonable price, replaceable pick and hammer/adze which I really like (My Black Diamond is a forged head hammer), Evolution pick comliments the gentle curve of the axe perfectly, works well on gentle sloping to steep ice.

Cons: I do not like the leashes that come with the Grivel Alpwing they are difficult to undo and tend to freeze up when it is really cold out, I changed my leashes to some old style Black Diamond Leashes and the combination is superb.

General comments: I bought these axes as i like a top-heavy feel and wanted a little extra length for alpine use. So far I've got to say I'm very impressed. The swing of an axe is a very personal thing, but being used to wielding a hammer, i really liked the feel of these. The build quality is superb (typical Grivel) and immediately evident - though the paint scratches easily, but who ever wanted gear to stay shiny? The pick is a goulotte - superb for mixed and it performed extremely well on V corner on Helvellyn a couple of weekends ago, which was narrowly in condition. I love the placement of these axes and find it very confidence-inspiring on all surfaces. Negatives, well, not many for me. I'll probably bodge up a clipper leash for them as i don't like the easy g they come with. And a lot of people wouldn't like the weight - they don't claim to be light... and this also has an effect when climbing on thin, aerated ice. My mates' tech wings, being far lighter and with a heavily filed pick, were much more delicate and therefore suitable for this. For alround mountaineering though, the alpwings are a league apart.

Pros: Bomber construction I like the swing and weight Awesome for mixed and suitable for both technical climbing and general alpinism.

Cons: Really either need heavy filing, or a cascade pick for thin or very hard fall ice. A lot of people will find them unwieldy and heavy I don't like the leashes, many people rave about them. Go figure.

General comments: I have used these tools now for one season. When searching round the shops looking at different tools these just felt the most comfortable. I was looking for an axe that I could climb easy ice falls with and use as a mountaineering axe. The alp wing has performed both with ease. The axe has been used in Wales and Scotland up to grade VI and it has worked fine. I have been using the Goulettes pick, as it was fitted on the tool when I bought them. The axe has also been used to plunge on steel snow plots or for stability on ridges. The paint finish of the axe is not particularly durable, after just a season much of the paint has gone but this doesn’t particularly bother me. My tools came with a different grip to most of the alp wings I had seen, whether it is a new design or not, I don’t know. The grip is more shaped to the hand than the previous straight rubber grip and I find it really comfortable. I also think it is a good size, I don’t find it too big or small so it remains comfortable over a period of hours. I do really like the leashes on this tool, but on one trip they did get wet and freeze solid. I will probably fit a clipper leash for next season. The horn supplied works well for leashless climbing but I would advise also fitting the trigger as it is more precise and comfortable. One last point worth a mention is that these tools also are very effective for arresting a fall. A skill worth practicing with these as the aggressive pick bits a lot quicker than most tools. All in all I am very pleased with these axes and for me they feel the most comfortable to use, but that is down to preference.

Pros: Grip is really good, strength, versatility, pick, lower shaft great for plunging

Cons: Weight, not enough of a curve for very steep ice, but then if you were buying steep ice tools these probably would not be considered.

General comments: These axes are most likely the one of the beat choices for Scottish mixed in the lover graded up to four with out any problem at all. The slight curve in the shaft makes enables you to climb steeper stuff with out smashing your hands or getting the wrong angle on the pick. The drop picks that come with it are very strong but they are designed for ice and do wear fast alternative is to swap them for mixed picks but that costs about £20 per pick. Light enough to be used in the Alps as the name subjects for general mountaineering they have fully tested shafts. The leash on the older one does not have a stopper on it which is to be avoided as it just tightens till there is no blood going to your hands worst hot aches ever cos of this. They are well balances for cutting steps although they are not as heavy as a traditional walking axe and you really would be climbing with crampons on if you had these so those times would be rear. 53 cm is perfect for me short enough to fit down your back to carry but just long enough to use easily would not want it any longer. Axe heads are easy to dismantle and replace any bits just two bolts pulling them together. Rubber handle does make gripping easier but will get cut and eventually wrecked if you doing belays with it.

Pros: light well balanced good all rounder

Cons: old leashes have no stoppers come with ice picks

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