A lightweight ice axe with a sleek design.
This review is part of our ice axes gear guide, and was first published in the February 2018 issue of The Great Outdoors.
The very light Raven Pro is a good hillwalking axe. It has a distinctive narrow pick that’s quite curved and which penetrates hard snow well. The adze is okay for step-cutting though not as wide as some. There’s no rubberised grip on the lower shaft but this isn’t an axe designed for holding here regularly. No leash is provided. Overall the design is minimalist to keep the weight down and the look is very clean compared to most of the other axes reviewed. There’s nothing wrong with the Raven Pro but the Petzl Glacier is slightly lighter and less expensive. It does come in six lengths though, the only axe that does.
