The Alpine Tour is Climbing Technology’s classic mountaineering axe. Its key features are a bent shaft and fairly aggressive pick. The shaft bend is close to the head, which is nicely sculpted. Both of these features make it comfortable to carry when walking. The bend close to the head leaves a long, clean section of shaft for plunging when a self belay is required for balance security. The swing balance is head-heavy, which will not appeal to everyone, however it is a good feature if you need a bit of extra power while swinging the pick into ice. The shaft also has a chunky diameter and has a rounded hexagonal profile, which makes the hold more positive when using it in gloved hands. The Climbing Technology Alpine Tour is a general-purpose axe that will appeal to those who like to mix up their winter walking with the odd easy winter climb. It will happily perform on moderately steep snow and ice.
Classification technical
Materials hardened steel pick with light alloy shaft
Sizes 50, 60, 70cm
Weight 520g (60cm)
Website www.mountain-works.co.uk