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Petzl Ride Ice Axe
  • Petzl Ride Ice Axe
  • Petzl Ride Ice Axe Head
  • Petzl Ride Ice Axe Pick
  • Petzl Ride Ice Axe Bottom

Ride

Rating

My vote: None ( 4.5 avg )

Description

Compact, ultra-light ice axe for ski touring and free riding.

Ultra-light and very compact, the RIDE ice axe goes everywhere with you for ski touring or glacier travel, without weighing you down. Solid placements thanks to the all-steel head, a pick tapered to 3 mm and a bent shaft.

Highly technical:
- ice axe with steel head offering the same performance as a classic ice axe
- pick tapered to 3 mm at the end for good penetration in ice
- curved shaft and machined grip for good handling

Compact: with only 45 cm and a beveled spike, the axe can be stowed inside the pack:
- reduces the risk of injury when the axe is attached to the outside of the pack
- can be stowed inside the pack for more discretion and without risk of damaging the pack

Retail price

US$ 109.95

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Weight (g / oz)

Weight (g / oz)

In grams and ounces, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.

Since the most common ice axe length is 50cm that is the main length that we reference.

When available, we list the weight for each length here.

250 g / 8.82 oz

45 cm: 250 g / 8.82 oz
(We have converted the grams to ounces)

Best Use

Best Use

Ultralight Mountaineering

The lightest axes available, used most for ski mountaineering, adventure racing, and other "go light" ascents. 350 grams is usually the max weight. The decreased weight means they are axes are built for snow missions, not ice.

Mountaineering

This is the most common type of snow mountaineering axe. These axes are above 350 grams and are a great balance of weight and durability. There may be a grip and they will always have an adze head (and no matching hammer pair). These axes are great for snow and can handle chopping steps in ice, or other small ice scenarios.

Technical Mountaineering

These axes are for tougher conditions when the majority of climbing is on snow, but the axe needs to be able to handle a short ice wall. They generally have a bent shaft and T-rated (more technical) pick. Often these beefier axes will have a rubberized grip and they may have a matching adze and hammer version. They're basically the offspring of an ice axe and ice tool.

Ultralight Mountaineering
Length Options (cm)

Length Options (cm)

Measured in centimeters, the best length is based on your height and ape index (arm length). Holding the axe in your hand, the spike (sharp end) of the axe should arrive around your shin. At the max size, it should go to your ankle.

Two people of the same height could need a different sized axe, based on arm length (t-rex vs monkey). If in-between sizes, our bias is towards sizing shorter.

Rule of Thumb

  • Under 5'6" 50cm
  • 5'6" to 5'8" 50-55cm
  • 5'9" to 6'0" 50-60cm
  • 6'1" to 6'4" 55-65cm
  • Over 6'4" 60-70cm

Worth Considering

There are other resources online that suggest a longer axe is a plus and that you should measure below the ankle. We absolutely disagree. A longer axe means you'll be tempted to use it as a trekking pole (which will put you off balance), or you'll have to give your arm a huge workout just to lift it in and out of the snow. Ice axes are meant to be used on the uphill side, which is already much higher.

45 cm
Head Details

Head Details

This refers to the back of the ice axe head (opposite the pick).

For ice axes, adze's are (by far) the most common. An adze will allow you to break ice by chopping or shoveling in a specific area, and they also provide more room to hold on to the head than a hammer does. This grip helps for arresting too.

Hammers are usually only used as a pair with an adze on the other axe (hammer's are much more common in ice tools than ice axes). A hammer uses a more broad force to break ice bulges.

Adze­
Ice Rating

Ice Rating

The certified rating of the pick and the shaft. These ratings might not match each other.

There are only 2 possible shaft ratings:

B / Type 1 / CEN-B: Basic
T / Type 2 / CEN-T: Technical

Pick: B / Type 1
Shaft: B / Type 1
Materials

Materials

The materials, as stated by the manufacturer / brand, of the pick, head, shaft and grip.

Pick: Steel
Head: Steel
Shaft: Aluminum 7075
­
Certification

Certifications

The main climbing gear certifications are CE and UIAA--and normally the UIAA creates the rules that the CE body also supports. When possible, we try to list all the certifications the product carries.

To sell a climbing product in Europe, the device must be CE certified. There are no official requirements to sell climbing gear in the US. The UIAA certification is a voluntary process.

For ice axes, there is a separate certification for the pick and the shaft.

Learn More

Rock and Ice Certifications Guide
CE, UIAA
Warranty

Warranty

This isn't super common, but sometimes the manufacturers will state a specific warranty such as "3 years against manufacturer defects"

3 years against manufacturer defects
AVG RATING
6
( 6 avg )
Rating
6
( 6 avg )

Very light, surprisingly versatile ice axe.

Pros
very light (8.5 ounces, 240 grams)
Durable pick, takes little to no damage even when hitting rocks full force
Curved shaft keeps hands away from ice and snow
Pick is comfortable to hold, but not super-comfortable
Large lightening holes in pick allow for easy clipping with carabiner
Flashy color, looks great on pictures
Hole in shaft allows clipping a lanyard either directly or to a piece of accessory cord that has been tied into the shaft
Cons
No spike on shaft-end, aluminium shaft end takes damage from rocks
Shaft can dent a bit by pinching it hard with fingers
Shaft fairly short (45 cm)
Adze is quite small, cutting steps takes a fair number of blows
Familiarity
I’ve used it a ton
Disclaimer
I am a grumpy curmudgeon. But no conflict of interest.

Great piece of kit, highly recommended even for general mountaineering use. Pick durability is much better than most Petzl axes, but the shaft can dent quite easily, so beware. I added a trigrest for steeper sections, but that's a mixed blessing, since it can interfere with axe placement.

In any case, the Ride is a fantastic ice axe that I have used on many winter outings (general and ski mountaineering) up to 55 / 60 degree hardpack snow and ice and it has always performed when I needed it to.

Black Sheep Adventure Sports logo no rating given just a review

The Petzl Ride axe is a very lightweight summer and winter mountaineering axe that’s ideal for routes that don’t involve much ice.  Check out the Petzl Gully if you want a lightweight axe that’s a little more technical just be aware that it weights a bit more as well.

Ride Ice Axe