Best Ice Axe for Thru Hiking & Backpacking 2026

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I have carried an ice axe across early-season snow on the CDT in Colorado, and they are needed by almost all early season PCT thru-hikers to get over high Sierra passes. When it comes to ice axes for thru-hiking and backpacking, the weight and the length of the shaft are crucial things you need tto get right.

This guide to the best ice axe for thru hiking and backpacking is written for ultralight hikers and early-season backpackers who want a dependable self-arrest tool without hauling a full mountaineering setup.

My current top pick is the Petzl Glacier for its balance of weight, price, and performance, with the Camp Corsa as my best ultralight ice axe for thru hiking when every gram counts, see Quick Picks. The trade-off you need to understand is simple: light axes save weight but sacrifice anchor strength and steep-snow bite, so match the axe to your terrain rather than your pack weight. For how I research and field-test gear, see the Gear Review Policy.

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Quick Picks: Best Ice Axe 2026

• Best overall: Petzl Glacier – the balanced do-everything winter hiking axe; strong self-arrest, a 3 mm stainless spike, and a price that doesn’t hurt.
• Runner Up: Black Diamond Raven – the classic beater axe; comfortable, tough, and cheap.
• Best ultralight / thru hiking: Camp Corsa – the lightest option on the market, a just-in-case axe that lives on your pack for the PCT or CDT.
• Best durable ultralight: Petzl Ride – only a fraction heavier than the Corsa but with a steel head and pick that bite into firm snow.
• Best for steep snow and ice: Petzl Sum’Tec – a hybrid that climbs like a proper ice tool but still walks like a mountaineering axe.
• Best technical all-rounder / ski mountaineering: Petzl Summit Evo – the curved shaft and hot-forged pick handle hard snow and self-arrest better than almost anything.
• Best modular mountaineering: Black Diamond Venom – swap the head between adze and hammer for real alpine routes.
• Best budget winter walking: Grivel G1 SA – a solid glacier and winter hiking axe for less.

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How We Tested

The ice axes in this guide are researched and, where possible, field-tested by an experienced long-distance hiker and former outdoor store manager. Across thru-hikes, early-season snow travel, and shoulder-season trips, I judge each axe on weight, self-arrest performance, shaft shape, pick and adze bite in firm snow, durability, and value for serious backpacking. Some of the items were supplied by the manufacturer and some items were purchased by the author for this review. For more on how we research and review gear, see the BikeHikeSafari Gear Review Policy.

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Ice Axe: Comparison Table

Brand	Weight	Material	Shaft Shape	Use
Petzl Glacier	12.3 oz	Stainless-steel head / aluminum shaft	Straight	Hiking, Trekking, Backpacking
Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe	1 lb	Stainless-steel head/aluminum shaft	Straight	Hiking, Trekking, Backpacking
Camp Corsa Ice Axe	7.1 oz	Aluminum	Straight	Thru-Hiking, Trekking, Backpacking
Petzl Ride	8.4 oz	Stainless-steel head/aluminum shaft	Curved	Ski Mountaineering, Mountaineering
Petzl Sum’Tec	1 lb. 1.1 oz	Stainless-steel head/aluminum shaft	Curved	Ski Mountaineering, Mountaineering
Petzl Summit Evo Ice Axe	14.1 oz	Stainless-steel head/aluminum shaft	Curved	Ski Mountaineering, Mountaineering
Black Diamond Venom	1 lb. 2 oz	Stainless-steel head/aluminum shaft	Curved	Ski Mountaineering, Mountaineering
Grivel G1 SA	15.2 oz	Carbon steel head/aluminum shaft	Straight	Hiking, Trekking, Mountaineering

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Best Ice Axe for Winter Hiking 2026

The Petzl Glacier is my pick for best overall ice axe for thru hiking and backpacking because it does almost everything well without the weight or the price of a technical tool. The thin 3 mm stainless steel spike drives into hard snow and ice cleanly, and the handle cut into the shaft gives a secure grip when you plant it as a cane or plunge it for an anchor.

I reach for this axe on typical winter walking and early-season trips where the objective is straightforward snow travel rather than vertical terrain. It is smooth and stable rather than jerky when you push it into firm snow, and it chops steps well enough when the trail steepens.

The honest trade-off is that it is not the lightest axe here, and an all-aluminum head would save more grams. But you get real steel where it matters at the point of the pick, and that is exactly where cheap lightweight axes let you down. It is CEN-B rated, so it works for belaying and improvised anchors on glacier routes.

Best for: hikers and backpackers who want one dependable axe that covers winter walking, thru-hiking, and basic glacier travel.

The Black Diamond Raven is the best budget ice axe because it does the basics at a price that lets you buy the rest of your winter kit too. I have used and tested the Black Diamond Raven on several trips including the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado, and while the Petzl Glacier is slightly lighter and slightly better, I keep coming back to how good the Raven is.

It is comfortable to hold and comes in a full range of sizes, so most people can find a length that fits. At around 16 ounces it sits on the heavier end, but that mass helps drive the wide, tapered pick into softer snow where a thinner pick would skate.

The trade-off is steep terrain. The Raven is a walking and glacier axe, not a steep-snow tool, and its pick does not bite firm ice the way a hot-forged technical pick does. For self-arrest and support in soft and moderate snow, though, it is genuinely reliable.

Best for: budget-conscious hikers and backcountry skiers who want a tough, comfortable general purpose axe for moderate conditions.

The CAMP Corsa is the best ultralight ice axe for thru hiking because it is, by most accounts, the lightest real ice axe on the market, built on a 7075-T6 aluminum alloy head and shaft that drops the weight to almost nothing on your pack. At 201 g in the 50 cm length it is still a fully functional UIAA B rated axe for self-arrest, glissading, and belay anchoring, which is exactly what a thru-hiker carrying one across a single snow pass needs.

This is a just-in-case tool, and the compromises come in grip and bite. The pick and adze are noticeably shorter than a full-size axe like the Raven, so there is less room to wrap your fingers around the head in a self-arrest grip — awkward when you are wearing thick insulated gloves, and no problem in warmer conditions where you can hold bare metal. There is also no leash hole at the top of the shaft, so it relies on a sliding CAMP Touring Leash held on with a rubber ring if you want one.

The trade-off is that an all-aluminum pick does not bite firm snow or ice the way steel does, and the smaller adze makes step-chopping slow work. It is not the axe for steep or bullet-hard conditions — but for the PCT in a normal snow year, it is the one that actually stays on your pack. If you want the same weight class with a real steel bite, the Petzl Ride is the step up.

Best for: ultralight thru-hikers on the PCT, CDT, or GDT who carry an axe “just in case” and want the lightest dependable option.

The Petzl Ride is my pick for the best durable ultralight ice axe, and it answers the one real weakness of the CAMP Corsa. The Corsa is lighter, but its all-aluminum pick is not as durable in firm snow and ice; the Ride weighs only a little more and brings a full steel head and pick, so it actually bites when you need to self-arrest on hard snow.

Because it comes in one short 45 cm length, it is best suited to ski touring rather than backpacking, snowshoeing or thru hiking. It is the lightest axe here with a steel head, which is a sweet spot a lot of ultralight ski tourers and hikers who want a short length shaft.

The trade-off is that short length and a tiny adze. There is no real spike to speak of, and the adze is small, so this is not a chopping tool. It is a self-arrest and steep-snow tool for people who want steel performance at near-aluminum weight.

The Petzl Sum’Tec is the best ice axe for steep snow and ice because it is more ice tool than walking axe. Petzl took the head from their Quark ice tool and stuck it on a lighter traditional shaft, so the pick penetrates firm snow and ice in a way no general mountaineering axe on this list can match. The adjustable slider pommel is a genuinely useful touch — you can position your hand wherever the terrain demands, whether you are daggering or swinging overhead.

Because it shares a head with the Quark, it is compatible with Petzl’s interchangeable picks, hammers, and adzes, which makes it more versatile than any fixed-head axe here. Outdoor Gear Lab rates it their top pick for this exact job and calls out that it climbs steep snow and moderate water ice better than the rest by a wide margin.

The trade-off is weight, price, and comfort on easy ground. It is heavy, expensive, and overkill for a basic snow climb, and its reverse-curve pick makes self-arrest a little bumpier in firm conditions than a classic positive-curve axe. If your trips top out at gentle glacier travel, buy a Glacier or Glacier Literide instead — but if there is real steep snow on the route, this is the axe I would want.

The Petzl Summit Evo is one of the most capable all-rounder on this list. The hot-forged pick penetrates hard snow and ice, and the partial curve in the upper shaft gives you clearance when you swing, while the straight lower section sinks cleanly into the snow when you plant it.

The toothed tip bites firm snow and ice, but the thicker middle of the pick is better shaped for anchoring in softer snow, so it adapts as conditions change. That versatility is what makes it such a strong ski mountaineering axe and a far better steep-snow tool than the straight-shaft Glacier or Raven.

The trade-off is weight and price. It is one of the heavier and pricier axes here, so if your trips stay gentle, there are other ice axes such as the Glacier Lung or Glacier does the same job for less. But when the route gets complicated and you need to trust your self-arrest, there is nothing here I would rather have short of a dedicated ice tool.

Best for: hikers and skiers doing technical, multi-use alpine travel where steep snow and confidence matter more than saving a few grams.

The Black Diamond Venom is the best mountaineering axe here because its modular head lets you choose between a classic adze pick or a technical pick with a hammer, so one shaft covers a lot of alpine objectives. The latest version adds an easy-to-adjust pommel, which helps a lot on steeper ground.

The head is well balanced and swings easily, and the pointed stainless spike at the end of the shaft pierces hard snow and frozen surfaces without hesitation. The slight curve in the upper shaft helps it anchor and swing overhead when the route steepens.

The trade-off is obvious: it is the heaviest axe in this guide, and some users have reported the rubber grip wearing or tearing over long, hard seasons. You would not carry this on a thru-hike, but you would carry it on a real mountaineering route where an adze, a hammer, and a spike you can trust are worth the grams.

Best for: mountaineers and alpinists who want one adaptable, hard-wearing axe for technical alpine travel.

The Grivel G1 SA is a solid budget ice axe for winter hiking and glacier travel. It has an aluminum shaft and a hot-forged carbon steel head, which is a good combination of light carry weight and a pick that actually bites, and it is certified to CE EN 13089 Type 1 and UIAA 152 like the other proper axes here.

There are two little trade-offs to know. You have to buy the adjustable leash separately, and it is not a tool for technical mountaineering or ice climbing — but that is not what a winter walking axe is for. For hiking on snow and crossing glaciers it does the job fine.

For the price, it is one of the best value winter walking axes going.

Best for: winter hikers and snowshoers who want a dependable, affordable axe for glacier and snow travel without technical aspirations.

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Thru Hiking Ice Axe Buyers guide

Weight vs Performance

For a thru-hiker, weight is the first thing you notice and the last thing you should optimize for by itself. A lighter axe is easier to carry all day, which matters enormously when the axe is strapped to your pack for 99% of the trip and drawn only for one snow-filled pass. But the lighter the axe, the more you give up in firm-snow bite and anchor strength, because that extra mass is what drives the pick into hard snow.

An all-aluminum axe like the CAMP Corsa saves real grams and self-arrests fine in soft conditions, but it is the wrong tool in bullet-hard spring snow. Match the axe to the terrain you will actually cross: if the snow is soft and the route is simple, go light; if there is real steep or firm snow, the extra 4 to 6 ounces of a steel pick is the best weight you will ever carry.

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Shaft Shape: Straight vs Curved

A straight shaft is easier to plunge vertically into the snow as a walking support, which is why it suits winter hiking and basic glacier travel. A curved shaft, or a shaft curved only at the top like the Summit Evo, gives your hand clearance when you swing the axe overhead on steeper ground and keeps your hand out of the snow when you dagger. The more technical your route, the more a curve helps; the more it is a walking cane, the more a straight shaft makes sense.

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Pick and Head Material: Steel vs Aluminum

Steel picks and heads are stronger, penetrate firm snow and ice better, and chop steps far more effectively, but they weigh more. Aluminum heads and picks are dramatically lighter and are fine for soft-snow self-arrest and gentle glacier travel, but they struggle on anything hard. A hot-forged steel pick penetrates better than a stamped or laser-cut one because it can be ground thinner, and this single design choice is the biggest predictor of steep-snow performance. The best lightweight compromise is a steel pick with an aluminum shaft, like the Petzl Ride or Glacier Literide.

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CEN-B vs CEN-T: What the Ratings Mean

Every UIAA-certified axe carries either a CEN-B (Type 1, basic) or CEN-T (Type 2, technical) rating, which measures the strength of the shaft, the pick, and the connection between them. Both are acceptable for improvised anchors, crevasse rescue, and belaying a second on snow, but a CEN-T rated axe is tested to higher loads and is the safer, stronger choice for hard alpine routes where you will weight the tool and pull on the pick.

For general winter walking and thru-hiking, a CEN-B axe is perfectly adequate; you only need to reach for a CEN-T rated model when the climbing gets genuinely technical.

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Length: How to Size an Ice Axe

The right length is the balance between too long and too short. Stand with your arm relaxed at your side and the axe hanging from your hand; the spike should reach roughly to your ankle. Walking axes run longer (typically 50 to 70 cm), while technical mountaineering axes run shorter because extra length just gets in the way on steep ground. As a rough guide, under 5’8″ suits a 50 to 60 cm axe, 5’8″ to 6’0″ suits 60 to 70 cm, and over 6’0″ may go 60 to 75 cm. A shorter axe is also lighter and easier to lash to a pack, which matters on a thru-hike.

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Leash, Grip, and Spike

These are the details that separate a pleasant tool from an annoying one. A leash keeps you from dropping the axe down a slope, though many axes sell it separately — check before you buy. A rubber or shaped grip on the lower shaft adds comfort and warmth on long carries and improves your hold when daggering. And a sharp steel spike at the end of the shaft, not a rounded aluminum end, is what lets you plunge the axe deep into hard snow for a secure anchor; some lightweight axes skim this and pay the price in soft performance.

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Best for Thru-Hiking and Early Season

If you are thru-hiking the PCT, CDT, GDT, Colorado Trail or any other mountain trail early in the season, you are probably carrying an axe for one or two snow sections, not for the whole trail. That pushes you toward the lightest dependable option, the CAMP Corsa or the Petzl Ride. Early-season hikers hitting high passes in firm morning snow should lean toward a steel pick, since that is exactly the condition where an aluminum pick stops biting. The message is the same: pick for the worst snow you will actually face, not for the hike you hope to have.

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Best for Steep Snow and Technical Routes

Once your route includes sustained steep snow, moderate ice, or any real mountaineering, the calculus flips and weight stops being the deciding factor. You want a hot-forged pick, a curved shaft, and ideally an adjustable pommel, which is why the Petzl Sum’Tec and Petzl Summit Evo sit at the top of that category. For vertical ice you would step up to a dedicated ice tool, but for steep snow and moderate ice these hybrids close almost all of the gap.

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Price and Value

Ice axes are a rare category where spending more does not always buy you more for your specific trip. A budget Black Diamond Raven is genuinely excellent for moderate conditions, while a $290 Petzl Sum’Tec is wasted if you never touch steep snow. Weight out what kind of trips you actually do: most thru-hikers and winter walkers are better served by a $110 to $150 axe than by a technical tool they will never use as intended. Spend on the pick material and the fit, not on a name.

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Conclusion

Here are the best ice axes for thru-hiking, backpacking and winter hiking:

• Best overall: Petzl Glacier
• Runner Up: Black Diamond Raven
• Best ultralight / thru hiking: Camp Corsa
• Best durable ultralight: Petzl Ride
• Best for steep snow and ice: Petzl Sum’Tec
• Best technical all-rounder / ski mountaineering: Petzl Summit Evo
• Best modular mountaineering: Black Diamond Venom
• Best budget winter walking: Grivel G1 SA

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Frequently Asked Questions

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