Buying tools please help

hi,

im new to ice climbing and looking to buy good all around tool, mostly NEI 1-NEI 3 climbing, New Hampshire slides, gullies, and water falls. i found a man selling his Black Diamonds venoms, and want to know, are they good for all of the above mentioned, or mainly a mountaineering axe?

Also, is buying used not a good idea, never know how the tools were treated? please help.

If your goal is to only do the gullies, Huntington Ravine, etc, then, yes, the Venoms will be okay. If you have aspirations to eventually do anything harder, you'll want real technical tools. Used tools are usually okay, plenty for sale on this site all the time. My advice is to hold off on buying tools for now. Put in a few days with a guide or experienced mentor this winter. When Ice Fest rolls around in February get there early and demo tools on both days. Try different ones, see what works for you. In the end if you get super into it you'll end up owning a few sets anyways.

Chris

Chris' advice is very good. Also google this site; there are tons of threads on "what's the best tool for..."

thank you so far. I am going to withhold on buying anything until i get more into it. But my next question, looking ahead, is can i keep the boots I have and climb in them (only heel welts) and just get new crampons for climbing, or do i need boots too.

currently I have..

trailspace.com/gear/raichle…

I have the BD sabertooth crampon (heel clip style), but i know that they will need to be replaced for climbing, currently I use them for mtneering purposes and hiking.

The petzl Lynx would do the trick with your boots. Then when you get a more technical boot with toe welts, you can still use them. They're very adaptable.

petzl.com/lynx

Demo- demo - demo- demo !!!!!

Definitely going to need new boots bro. Mount Washington, as you know, can kick up some wicked weather and mind numbing temps. Probably the best all around boot for the whites is the Nepal EVO gtx. I have lived and climbed in NH all my life and have found these to be outstanding boots ( but there are a lot of good comparable boots on the market like the Scarpa Mont Blanc, Kayland hypertraction, etc...) ...then of course you will want a more technical boot for mixed, a double boot for multi-day trips, fruit boots for dry tooling in the caves....oh boy...are you sure you want to do this? :)

If you are still looking for a great all around tool, I highly recommend the Petzl Aztars. They are agressive enough to handle most anything and super light weight which helps out a lot durring long alpine climbs. I love mine, and I got them used from a guy who bought them new and went on one trip in South America with them. They fit my swing nicely and I couldn't be happier with another ice tool.
You can do what you will as far as footwear goes, but I prefer plastics. There seems to be no extended break-in time and fit any crampon style.
thats my 2 cents
Cheers!