The Neve is a solid ice axe that was very nearly our Best Buy Award winner. It lost to the Black Diamond Raven, which is identical in price and was more comfortable to carry but didn't perform quite as well on steeper snow in firmer conditions. While you can buy a nicer axe, the Neve will provide more than enough performance for basic glacier climbs or more moderate snow routes.go to full review

This axe is best for snow climbs and easy to moderate glacier mountaineering routes. It performs similarly to its closest competition, the Raven and the Raven Ultra, offering a few advantages like better steep snow climbing and adze performance, though it wasn't quite as comfortable to carry in the self-arrest position. It was a strong contender for our Best Buy Award and deserves a note for those scanning the market for a solid all-around model that won't break the bank.go to full review

Don't let this model's "ultralight" label fool you into thinking it's not versatile. Other than its 50cm length, it's equally capable as most other mountaineering-oriented models like the Black Diamond Raven, CAMP Neve, or the Petzl Glacier. It's perfect for folks who want a lightweight axe but still desire something more well-rounded for a cross-section of activities, such as basic glacier climbs or moderate snow routes. It's also ideal for ski mountaineering, alpine rock climbing, or early..." go to full review

We like several of the different ultralight options for specific applications, but if we could only have one weight-conscious model, the Petzl Ride would be it. It's very nearly the lightest in the fleet, and still offers the highest across the board performance of any sub-12 ounce model we tested. It features the best combination of steep snow climbing performance, ability to self-arrest, and weight of any model. We could even pound the occasional snow-picket with it and would..." go to full review

The Black Diamond Venom is a capable model that excels at a broad spectrum of mountaineering objectives. This high-performing all-arounder is most at home on moderate waterfall ice, steep snow routes, and complex glacier climbs, where most of its design will truly shine. It will still perform well for moderate routes but is a bit on the heavy side. It's also friendly on the wallet, and provides similar performance to our favorite modular tool, the Petzl Sum'tec, but for a lower price (and is..." go to full review

While specialized, the Petzl Gully is a rad option for the right types of routes; it's tough to beat for the types of applications that it's designed for. While specialized, it does perform well for WI4 and can disappear inside your pack on an alpine rock climb with a tricky approach or help assist on your descent on techy ski mountaineering endeavors. The Gully is ideal for steep snow or moderate ice routes where weight is of great concern; don't cast aside that this model is super..." go to full review

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..." go to full review

The Black Diamond Swift is a stout ice axe that excels on complex glacier routes and steep snow climbs. It's burly, and its heft does have several benefits when it comes to digging snow anchors, pounding pickets, swinging it into firm snow, and inspiring confidence. With that said, it's not as versatile as other high scorers due to its weight. For those who have a lightweight axe in their quiver for alpine rock climbing or ski mountaineering, the Swift will complement it nicely; it's one of..." go to full review

The Sum'Tec is the best option for folks who want a more technical ice axe or a lighter-weight ice tool for moderate routes. The Sum'Tec is stellar for a wide-range of mountaineering and alpine routes that truly blur the line between an ice axe and an ice tool. It can be used independently for basic glacier climbs, provides security on steeper snow routes, and can be used as a pair for steep alpine climbs, moderate alpine, and waterfall ice. Its weight and price mean it might be a little..." go to full review

One of the best all-around mountaineering axes out there, the Air Tech Evolution does nearly everything well and was very nearly our Editors' Choice, only barely losing out to the Petzl Summit Evo. We liked the ergonomics on the shaft of the Summit Evo better for steep snow climbing, and it was slightly lighter; however the Air Tech Evo remains a very close second and a rad all-around option. If extreme toughness and top-notch steep snow performance are priorities, then this is a fantastic..." go to full review