If you haven’t already guessed I’m talking about the Black Diamond Raven ice ax, in 80cm. Weighing in at just over one pound with the Black Diamond covers it’s a welcome addition to my gear when snow lies ahead.
I had a chance to try it out climbing Mt. Ellinor with Mr.AMX on June 15th. We ran into a good section of snow and were able to test our snow spikes, ice axes (Mr.AMX has the Raven in 75cm), and our snow baskets on our trekking poles. I also did some impromptu glissade work, but that’s a story for another day.
The matte finish on the shaft and head is fantastic. If you are going to have extra gear like an ice ax it helps when it looks cool! All kidding aside it is a hardy finish and provide a nice grip. As with other equipment in my arsenal I am no expert with an ice ax but the concepts are fairly simple. If anyone is looking for a good entry level ax that will still be useful after you’ve gained some experience I would recon this is the one to get. I did get it after all.