Axes for Liberty Ridge

Hi all,

Looking for feedback on dual ice axes for Rainiers Liberty Ridge route. I'm thinking one of these two options...I'd prefer the lighter combo if it doesn't sacrifice too much on performance...FWIW I'm 6ft 2in tall.

-Petzl Summit + Petzl sumtec

-camp corsa nano + petzl gully

I usually only get 1 out west climb in a year so I'm intending for these tools to be an investment and last a while...but they probably won't see more than a week's worth of use a year.

Appre iate the feedback!

Personally I would prefer a pair of quarks depending on route conditions. Looks like u live in Minneapolis which means the option to get into ice climbing as well. The options u listed would probably work for the follower or possibly The route is an easy condition 

You have to be able to get over the bergshund, which might be slightly overhanging.  Whatever you choose, make sure it will get you over the bergshrund.  

https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/116534757/climbing-above-the-bergschrund-on-the-liberty-ridge-june-of-2016

I personally wouldn’t use anything with an aluminum adze, like the Corsa Nanotech.  

Best options for saving weight on Liberty Ridge would probably be a pair of Type 1 ice tools, like the Petzl Gully or Blue Ice Akila.  I would recommend the Akila over the Gully for summer mountaineering, due to the additional length and steel spike.  A side-by-side comparison can be found here. 

Liberty is a conundrum of a route. The lower slopes a 60cm axe and ski pole work great. Past the Thumb you might be swinging both tools, canning, or back to some French technique. BITD I used a 60cm Chouinard Piolet and 50cm North Wall Hammer. These days a lot of the kids seem be to using tools like the Nomics with a grip. IMHO such tools are an PITA when one needs to do a lot lower angle terrain or when one needs to plunge a tool.

Give us some background on what you might want to do longer term. That might help give a bit more direction. But the Petzl Summit (59cm) and Petzl Sumtec Hammer would be reasonable. Quarks are not a bad option either - take the rests off so you can plunge the tool. Just depends on your future plans.

If you have some interest in a set of first generation BD Cobras let me know. Some will say they are old school but IMHO they are some of the best all round alpine tools ever made. I have second set that are not getting enough mileage.

Thanks all for the help so far! Those blue ice tools look pretty great. Axes are cheap enough and I'm on my 3rd set of ice climbing specific tools (have had vipers, cobras, and now the xdreams). My long term goals are all over so I'd just like some good beta on a lightweight but functional axe combo for LR. There will probably be 3 of us...so I was thinking if we all had a moderate length tool (like the petzl summit) and one specific tool (like the blue ice mentioned above), then the leader could grab the 2 short tools for the bergshrund. I have a camp alpina over 10 years old and really beat up...so wouldn't mind replacing that with the petzl summit and get that blue ice akila above. I also have a bd whippet I could use on the approach?

...good choice?

Josh, if ya wanna take a pair of Sum’Tecs for a spin at Sandstone lemme know (DM me) for real world comparisons.  You’ll be surprised how good they climb steep ice.  I used these and whippet on LR a few years ago (climbed without difficulty but no send, ha ha ) 

Climb the stage wall at Sandstone with a whippet, SumTec, and AT boots and a pack with skis (recommend skis over snowshoes if you’re a decent skier and depending on time of year and conditions) and you’ll have all the confidence and info you need to float any ‘Shrund difficulties you’d encounter on LR.  

Hi Mark and thank you for the advice and the try out! I might take you up on that sometime. It's been almost 10 years since I've been on Rainier and might change the route to the Kautz - get a little bit of steep ice in as a way to step up to LR in the near future. 

I really like the Blue Ice Akila mentioned in the earlier comment - thinking I might pick up 2 of those and use with my whippet.

Thanks all for the help,

Josh

you will need a tool that you can swing and another for the approach. i took 2 BD venoms, 1 short with an alpine pick and 1 long with a mountaineering pick. worked out fine.

don't take 2 technical tools.

I used two camp xlight tools.  Was glad to have them on the ice portion as we had 800-1,000 feet of ice.  

Nice to have the ease of swing and security when you’re tired.  However I did wish I had a tool that plunged better as some of the steeper snow had a hard crust over soft snow (sticks were very questionable) but the handle of my tools made plunging difficult.  

I think a sumtec or akila as mentioned (a semi technical tool with a real reverse curve pick + a ice tool would work well)