ozyclint
WKR
For quite some time I have wanted an ice axe for tahr and chamois hunting but backpacking in for them dictates that only the necessities are able to be brought along. After starting with a trekking pole I then moved to the next best thing in a Black Diamond carbon whippet. This works well but I still wanted a fully functional ice axe and a pole combined in one tool.
The only combos I know of are the Petzl snowscopic and the Stubai tour lite trekking pole ice axe. Both were not what I wanted in an ice axe pole. Both are too long when collasped and not long enough at full extension and the Stubai has an alloy pick head. Recently the other option was a MTN gear MTN stick. Again, too long collapsed, too short extended and IMO, poor head geometry and ergonomics. Not to mention the hefty price tag.
So when no one makes what you want, you make it yourself and that's what I did.
I took the head off my BD whippet and set about turning it into my ideal ice axe pole combo.
I trolled the net looking for ice axe replacement heads that would suit my needs and be able to be adapted to the whippet pole. I settled on the 'Mix' replacement ice axe head by Grivel. It is a replacement for their 'north machine' technical ice axe. It looked to be what I wanted in an axe. Suitable shape for comfortable piolet style use and simple enough to make an adapter for to mount it to the pole. It also has the option for use with either a bolt on hammer or adze which gave it some versatility appeal.
Plan was to fabricate a stainless steel adapter that the head bolts to, with a flange either side of the head and a stem that both fits inside the original pole and has a sleeve like outsert that fits over the pole.
With available material sizes, this required the outside machining and internal boring (on the lathe at work) of 2 aluminium sleeves to get from the OD of the pole to the ID of the stainless tubing used for the adapter. The sleeve lengths were made progressively shorter to create somewhat of a taper.
The only combos I know of are the Petzl snowscopic and the Stubai tour lite trekking pole ice axe. Both were not what I wanted in an ice axe pole. Both are too long when collasped and not long enough at full extension and the Stubai has an alloy pick head. Recently the other option was a MTN gear MTN stick. Again, too long collapsed, too short extended and IMO, poor head geometry and ergonomics. Not to mention the hefty price tag.
So when no one makes what you want, you make it yourself and that's what I did.
I took the head off my BD whippet and set about turning it into my ideal ice axe pole combo.
I trolled the net looking for ice axe replacement heads that would suit my needs and be able to be adapted to the whippet pole. I settled on the 'Mix' replacement ice axe head by Grivel. It is a replacement for their 'north machine' technical ice axe. It looked to be what I wanted in an axe. Suitable shape for comfortable piolet style use and simple enough to make an adapter for to mount it to the pole. It also has the option for use with either a bolt on hammer or adze which gave it some versatility appeal.
Plan was to fabricate a stainless steel adapter that the head bolts to, with a flange either side of the head and a stem that both fits inside the original pole and has a sleeve like outsert that fits over the pole.
With available material sizes, this required the outside machining and internal boring (on the lathe at work) of 2 aluminium sleeves to get from the OD of the pole to the ID of the stainless tubing used for the adapter. The sleeve lengths were made progressively shorter to create somewhat of a taper.
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