Petzl Sum'Tec Adze Ice Axe
Take on any mountain activity from classic to technical with the Petzl Sum'Tec Adze ice axe. It has a shaft that's curved for anchoring, yet is straight enough for planting and walking comfortably.
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- Modular design features interchangeable picks that adapt to different objectives; adze and hammer are also interchangeable
- Ice pick is tapered at the tip for easy penetration in any ice
- Handrest position adjusts into climbing mode quickly and without tools
- Shaft has steel spike for solid support in piolet-canne mode
- Optional weights improve anchoring qualities (weights not included)
- Compatible with Petzl accessories for Quark, Nomic and Ergo ice axes (sold separately)
Imported.
View all Petzl Ice Axes| Best Use | Ice Climbing |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Steel/aluminum/nylon |
| Pick Shape | Reverse Curve |
| Shaft Shape | Bent |
| Weight | 1 lb. 0.8 oz. |
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Great Tool - Not Just on Ice!
I was waiting for a good opportunity to try this out and found it somewhat unexpectedly in a scenario not involving ice! Visiting a relative in Truckee, we went on a regular hike that ended up with some more scrambling than we had anticipated. I brought this along as it arrived right before I left and was able to test it out in this environment. It was light and easy to carry on my pack and the adjustable thumb-hook/rest was fantastic when I ended up using it more as an assist pole and needed to move the rest to a higher position on the axe. Length and weight were really easy to work with and it felt incredible substantial and durable for the overal lesser heft of the product as a whole.
Great Moderate Ice Axe, with 2 minor issues
This style of ice axes is my most used and preferred ice axes for climbing in the Cascades. The level of aggressiveness allows you to climb anything short of completely vertical ice climbing, and the straight shaft allows for plenty of versatility both in driving the spike in for quick anchors and using the axe as a third point of contact in steep walking. The modular head is also great, and you can buy a hammer accessory to replace the adze. But there are several different modular ice axes from different manufacturers, so what makes the Sum'Tec unique... Angle - As I mentioned above, the Sum'Tec has a middle of the road curvature. This axe is less aggressive than the Quarks and more aggressive than the Summit Trigrest - The axe has an interesting over sized hand rest, which flips and locks pretty easily and allows you to adjust the hand rest on the axe. This in theory works great, but realistically, with gloves on in cold conditions I don't see this being adjusted on the fly. Accessories - It's pretty cool the number of accessories that Petzl has for this axe, I haven't had a chance to try any of them hands on, but I appreciate the versatility. Weight - Comes in at the specified 470g on my kitchen scale (with adze). This is very light for an axe of this type. I believe it is the lightest compared to the competitors. Handle - The handle is comfortable, and has some texture to prevent slippage, but if I had some complaints about the ice axe, this would be it. There is no grip padding or minimal hand rest or lip at the bottom of the axe. Why is this important? Metal gets cold, and this ice axe has no form on insulation to prevent that cold from transfering straight to your hands when you are holding it at the bottom position. I would have preferred a grip at the bottom. My only other complaint is the top hole is very small, and is only suitable for a single carabiner. My conclusion - this is a great ice axe that is very versatile and performs great in the conditions that I am trying to climb. Petzl - Put the hand rest similar to the one on the Petzl Quark and make the top hole bigger and you would have the best modular ice in the world!
Great balance
Great product. I’ve been using this as I train for Denali. The versatility is unrivaled. Quick turn of a bolt and new attachments in minutes. For so much versatility it is also incredibly light and balanced. This is quickly turning into my go to adze. My personal favorite part is the bite of the spike in snow. I can always get a great, stable purchase while resting or adjusting my pack.