GearFlogger

Black Diamond knows axes, and they know not to mess with what works. The Raven lineup has expanded to four: the Raven, Raven Pro (lighter), Raven Ultra (lightest) and Raven with grip. The updated Raven Pro gets a little work done to improve an already stellar design, but don't worry, they haven't ruined a classic like Pamela Anderson did with all her "updates."go to full review

The feel is noticeably lighter for the larger sizes, and otherwise identical in terms of trigger and placement. Very solid, very satisfying, very safe. So here's the thing: unless you have extra money and/or a real need for weight savings on your rack, you can stick with the regular Camalots and save a lot of money and/or buy more cams. To put it in perspective, if your rack had one of each of the seven sizes it would cost about $500 for a rack of regular Camalots (total weight about 38..." go to full review

Next to your climbing partner, your axe is your most trusted friend on a big mountain. The Grivel Air Tech Evolution axe will be there for you when you need it, and at only 16.1oz it won't be a burden. Unlike, for example, certain climbing partners we have all known. This axe had no problems standing up to a good two-week pounding on Denali after a season of continous use. It plunges well, has a no-slip grip and the slight bend allows it to reach over bulges like a tool. Pair it with..." go to full review

When light is right, CAMP is proving they are the go-to guys. They took their Corsa ice axe, added a curve to the shaft and a steel pick and spike. This adds negligibly to the weight of otherwise all-aluminum axe, which now tips the scales at all of 8.7oz. About the only way it's going to get any lighter is to fill the shaft with helium...." go to full review

Black Diamond's Lockdown leash does cut down on this a bit, because the loop that releases the slipknot can be looped over the hammer or adze (gently!) to release it. Sold singly in left-hand configuration only, so don't forget to pull the long part of one leash through and re-thread it from the other side for the right hand, a little tip they neglect to mention. Bottom line, slipknots are fine for alpine use, but for vertical ice go with a clip...." go to full review

Black Diamond's Spinner double spring leash will do this for you. A mere 4 oz. girth-hitched to your belay loop, the Spinner has two 18 inch elastic webbings that stretch more than twice their original length and clip into the spike of your ice tools. In practice they stay pretty much out of the way, but you might want to run them inside your sternum strap to gather the slack...." go to full review

Gently suggest an axe protector, e.g. Black Diamond's version, cleverly named... the Axe Protector. At only 1.4oz and under ten bucks, the BD AP is a sound investment to protect all things soft and expensive from the pick and adze on your ice dagger. A pleasant GearFlogger-orange polyurethane with an adjustable elastic shock cord keeper, both ends should fit nearly any axe or tool unless you've got some freaky Viking war hammer jobbie you built yourself with your dad's tools,..." go to full review

These are great all-around high performance shoes that excel at all types of climbing. Try them on a little small; I'm normally a 42 but I went with a 41 on the Miuras. You'll notice a little extra material that bunches on top of the toes, but it doesn't seem to affect performance and the fit is otherwise very precise...." go to full review

The Sandvik steel points are attached under the frontpoints of the all-aluminum 12-point frame. They stand up well for their intended use: snow routes with the occasional moderate ice patch. You would not want to use them on vertical ice, sustained alpine ice or mixed rocky conditions. Also available in automatic bindings, I used the semiautomatic. The softer frame really sucked into the soles of my boots so that there was no detectable slop in the system, which is unusual for such a..." go to full review

These monster fangs have a big-ass monopoint and removable heelspur, plus a second half-size frontpoint outboard from the mono and a third vestigial mini-point inboard. Length and points are single-screw adjustable, and the asymmetric footprint that seems too extreme nonetheless matches most boots. Integrated anti-balling plates and a simple yet solid clip system, with little shock-absorber coils in the front bail, round out the package.go to full review