Technical Hardware | Crampons, Ice Axes, and more

This page provides information to help choose the right kind of technical hardware for your NZ mountaineering trip. This includes: choice of crampons, ice axe, ice hammer, ice screws, and more.

Crampons

For most trips choose a crampon for general purpose mountaineering. These should have 10 or ideally 12 points - which include moderate to aggressive front-points.

We recommend a crampon with a strap system on the toes, rather than a metal toe bail. Built in anti-balling plates are ideal for summer conditions in NZ. For example; Petzl Vasak, Grivel G12’s, or similar.

  • Avoid specialised ice climbing crampons for general alpine mountaineering. These crampons can "ball up" badly with wet snow.
  • Specialised "foot-fang" style crampons (e.g. Grivel Rambo) are ideal for water-ice climbing
  • Strap-on crampons work well with snowboarding or non-rigid boots

General Alpine Mountaineering Axes

A "straight shafted" mountaineering axe (55-65 cm) is appropriate for most climbing trips, and instruction courses. The axe should have about 10cm ground clearance when held at your side.

The ideal length depends on your height, and the nature of the trip. These tools are best for "moderate" terrain, trips including glacier travel and mixed climbing.

  • Look for an axe with a shaft without excessive rubber padding. This makes the axe easier to push into the snow for anchor placement
  • We recommend choosing an axe marked with "T" (for "technical") - these are rated for use in anchor systems

Technical Ice Axes

These specialised shorter axes are designed for technical alpine routes and water-ice climbing. They have aggressively angled picks and often have bent shafts. Shaft length varies around 40-50 cm.

Ice Hammers

Your hammer is used for placing snow and ice protection, and when climbing with "two tools" on steeper pitches.

This is a shorter tool than the ice axe, generally around 45-55 cm. Curved and aggressive pick shape (sometimes reverse-drop) is standard.

Both straight and curved shafted hammers have their place. Curved shafts protect the hands when ice climbing, but are not as efficient for hammering in snow anchors as straight-shafted tools.

Ice screws

Ice screws vary in length from 12 to about 22 cm. Modern steel screw-in/screw-out are best. Winders are great for quickly placing and removing protection.

  • For general alpine mountaineering carry at least 2 ice screws per-person
  • We recommend screws are at least 17 cm in length

Helmets

A modern plastic climbing helmet will protect your noggin in the event of a fall, or more often, and specifically from objects falling on your head. They have a limited life span due to UV degradation.

Karabiners

  • Locking karabiners should be large pear-shaped, ideally with a screw-gate
  • Snap-locks for general mountaineering should be “D” shaped, with a straight gate

Snow Stakes

Used in anchor systems. There two main options for the NZ snowpack: the 60 cm long aluminum angled "V" shaped or "T" shaped stakes.

  • V-shaped stakes perform better in a softer snowpack
  • T-shaped are better in a firmer snowpack (mid to late-summer)

Pre-trip Information

The details to help you prepare for your Alpine Guides mountain adventure.

Topics Include:

How "hard" will the course be?

Are you ready? How does Mt Cook compare to Mount Aspiring? Read about Trip Difficulty ›