If you’re looking for a lightweight axe that is comfortable in walking mode, look at the Salewa Alpine-X.
The Salewa Alpine-X has a sleek, modern design, largely thanks to its aggressive sculpted head. It’s available in a limited range of sizes. Weight-saving measures include a carbide rather than steel spike, and numerous cutouts in the steel pick.
Alex Roddie’s verdict
This lightweight axe with an aggressive pick has some downsides when it comes to climbing and self-arrest.- very light for performance
- pick anchors well on ice
- good adze for step-cutting
- poor spike
- not as effective at self-arrest as others
- limited lengths
| Quick specs |
|---|
| Price: £110 |
| Weight: 390g (65cm) |
| Materials: carbon steel head, pick and adze, aluminium shaft, carbide spike |
| Technical rating: CEN-B (Type 1) |
| Grip: rubberised |
| Leash or Pommel: none (optional pommel available) |
| Lengths available: 53cm, 65cm |
| salewa.com |
The straight aluminium shaft is very basic, with no additional grip or included pommel (optional pommel available). The surface texture gives just enough grip for basic use but I’d want to add a leash for cutting steps. It feels less secure to hold in climbing or cutting mode than most of the other axes tested.
The carbon steel pick is the most aggressive of any axe tested, with a climbing-inspired reverse-curved geometry. The point and teeth are both razor sharp, contributing to its superb performance on hard ice.
However, it’s very comfortable to hold in walking mode thanks to a smooth area under the pick where your hand goes. It performs well when daggering on steep ground too.
Balance feels good to me. The adze is a mixed bag. It’s broad and very sharp, with defined corners – great for cutting steps. However, the cutouts make it inefficient at clearing and shovelling tasks.
Self-arrest is the poorest of the axes tested, with an overly aggressive bite.
The main downside for me is the very poor spike, which is a small carbide point set in plastic. This started to show significant wear after a single trip – long term I’d have doubts about durability.
Although it performs okay on snow, it will often fail to bite on harder snow or ice. This is a lightweight axe for the length, and if you’re looking for something with an aggressive pick and straight shaft then it’s worth a look, especially if you plan to add a leash or pommel.
Testing notes
Alex tested these ice axes on a range of day routes and short backpacking trips throughout the Cairngorms and West Highlands, including a real mix of terrain – typical easier winter walking all the way up to Grade I gullies and easy mixed ridges. Weights stated are as measured on Alex’s digital scale; note that the same length was not available from every brand, so the length of the axe tested is also stated.
This review first appeared in the December 2024 issue of The Great Outdoors. For more ice axes tested by the experts, see our guide to the best ice axes for mountaineering.
