The benefits of Grivel's carbon composite ice axe!
The benefits of Grivel's carbon composite ice axe!
Carbon composite was designed to overcome the limitations with steel and other metals. Carbon composite is extremely strong, lightweight and unlike steel or aluminium, it does not rust or corrode. This makes carbon composite an excellent choice material for the shaft of an ice axe. It makes the axe lightweight, strong and resistant to all the elements that come with ice climbing.
Grivel have taken one of their most popular ice axes called the Grivel Air Tech Evolution and redesigned it to use a carbon composite shaft. They have called this new version the Grivel Air Tech Carbon. Compared to the evolution the carbon shaft of the new version makes the axe much more pleasant to look at.
Both versions of the ice axe are nearly identical in the features they provide. The Grivel Air Tech Evolution and the Grivel Air Tech Carbon are both classical positive ice axes designed for technical alpinism. They both have hot forged heads with a shovel on one end and they both have a hole in the head for attaching a leash. The only difference between the two axes is the weight. The evolution is slightly lighter than the carbon version. The evolution weighs 16.1 oz and the carbon weighs 16.7 oz.
Although the Grivel Air Tech Carbon is slightly heavier than the evolution it is much more attractive to look at and should stay that way because of the carbon shaft. Both axes are T rated at 400 which make them both strong enough to belay from. The only thing that might be of concern is the price difference. Carbon composite is a more expensive material which makes the Grivel Air Tech Carbon cost allot more than the evolution.