Collecting every piece of gear takes a little time.
We think it's worth the wait.

Nice choice!
Give us a moment to collect those options for you.

Petzl Summit® Ice Axe
  • Petzl Summit® Ice Axe
  • Petzl Summit® Ice Axe Pick
  • Petzl Summit® Ice Axe Bottom

Summit®

Rating

My vote: None ( 5.1 avg )

Description

Classic mountaineering ice axe.

Designed for classic mountaineering, the SUMMIT ice axe offers an excellent balance between price and performance. It is lightweight and offers good anchoring performance of both the head and the spike; it is curved to offer necessary clearance for steep ice; it can be used in piolet-canne or piolet-rampe mode as well as in piolet-traction mode on short, steep sections.

Description

Lightweight ice axe, but with enough weight in the head for good anchoring power
Shaft ergonomics:
- the upper part of the shaft is curved to offer good clearance when climbing
- the lower part is straighter and guarantees efficient penetration in snow
Pick and adze in hot-forged steel, ensuring solid anchoring:
- pick is thin (3 mm) and toothed at the tip, ensuring good anchoring qualities in hard snow and ice
- pick is thicker in the middle to favor anchoring in soft snow
- teeth on upper part of pick strengthen the hold on the ice axe in piolet-rampe mode
- durable spike in stainless steel for very good penetration in hard snow and in piolet-canne mode
High strength and practical aspects:
- very durable steel adze offers a comfortable support surface, and the design of the edges allows stairs to be carved efficiently
- tilted adze directs the axe correctly into the snow (piolet-canne usage)
- head and spike equipped with holes for clipping a carabiner or attaching a sling
- high-quality aluminum shaft (7075 aluminum, used in aeronautics), with anodized finish for excellent protection
-handle is cut into the adze to create a better grip
Ice axe compatible with LINKIN leash

Retail price

US$ 139.95

When you click a link below and then checkout online, no matter what you buy (climbing gear or not), we get a small commission that helps us keep this site up-to-date. Thanks!

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.

360 g / 12.70 oz

52 cm: 360 g / 12.7 oz
59 cm: 380 g / 13.4 oz
66 cm: 400 g / 14.11 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.

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.

52 cm, 59 cm, 66 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: Stainless Heat-Treated Steel
Head: Stainless Heat-Treated 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
5.680002
( 5.7 avg )
Rating
6
( 6 avg )

Best All Round Mountaineering Axe

Pros
Versatile
Bent shaft makes sub technical climbing fun
Durable
Lightweight
Cons
Head is a little thin, so plunging can be a bit uncomfortable after a few hours.
Familiarity
I’ve used it a ton

The Summit has been my go to mountaineering axe for general mountaineering. It's perfect for a broad range of activities. I have used it in the past for skimo, but my 66cm was a bit awkward on my pack. 

Arresting, and walking with this axe is very comofrtable. The lightweight is awesome, and makes carrying it for long days comfortable. The axe plunges smoothly, and much better than axes with rubber handles. For daggering or steeper climbing the bent shaft is perfect, though I don't have the largest hands. I've tried climbing with it on WI3 for practice as well at crags and it is acceptable, though not my first choice. 

For an all round mountaineering axe this is an excellent choice.

Rating
6
( 6 avg )

One Axe To Rule Them All

Pros
Light
Great traction in all snow conditions
Cons
Pinky rest comes separate
Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch

If you can only own one ice axe this might be the one. Plunging, piolet canne, high dagger, easy ice, this axe does it all no matter the snow. The weight is balanced across the axe and pretty lightweight for how well it swings.

With the pinky rest this ice will climb easy ice with supprising ease.

Rating
5.04
( 5 avg )

Liiiiight!

Familiarity
I’ve used it a bunch

It's really light, I love it. Good for the couloir climbs and trekking on the steep in general. Only thing I dislike is that is getting cold faster and more colder then others I have used. You really need better then just good gloves with it.

It's really light, I love it. Good for the couloir climbs and trekking on the steep in general. Only thing I dislike is that is getting cold faster and more colder then others I have used. You really need better then just good gloves with it.

Outdoor Gear Lab Gear Review rating 5/5

The Petzl Summit is a sweet all-around axe that will perform well for a wide range of trips and conditions. This former Editors' Choice winner remains a strong contender for our award and is still lighter than our current winner, the Petzl Summit Evo. This axe works just as well on 85% of routes that the Summit Evo excels on; unless you are getting into complex glacier routes or routes with extended steep snow climbing, the Summit is a worthy choice. While it's entirely possible to utilize the Summit on the adventures mentioned above, we would recommend another option.

Summit and Summit Evo Ice Axe