Mountain Innovations Petzl Sumtec

The Sum’Tec ice axe has been part of Petzl’s line-up for a few years now, treading the line between non-technical ice climbing and technical mountaineering. This year the guys and girls at Petzl decided to update this alpinist’s favourite adding a fully modular pick, adze and weight system and a few other impressive features.

We managed to get hold of one and take a look at just how good this new and improved axe is.

Key Features

Curved shaft Modular design Tapered ice pick Optional head wieghtss T-Rated pick and shaft

Compatible with Petzl accessories for Quark, Nomic and Ergo ice axes Steel spike at bottom of shaft CE - U015AA00 / U015BA00 Length: 55cm Weight: 470g

Modular Design

The axe comes with a hammer or low profile adze as stock with the two of them completely interchangeable as part of a new modular design (you’ll find the same system on the more technical Quark, Nomic and Ergo axes). There is also the option to change-up the pick for different terrain or practice on drywall and add head weights for heftier strikes.

Trigrest

Easy to adjust and lock into place, the ergonomic trigrest offers support for striking or hooking on technical sections. Then when hiking, simply slide it up to for interrupted plunges and an extra hand platform.

Petzl's Ice pick

The axe comes with a type 2 (technical) pick that is 4mm thick at the mounting point before tapering down to 3mm at the tip. This narrow tip makes it easier to penetrate ice and wedge in cracks while the wider top area adds durability and stiffness.

It also comes with a positive angle tip for accurate placement when penetrating hard ice and a hybrid teeth pattern that smoothly releases from ice yet can grip when hooking.

T rated / Weight: 470g

A midweight axe, it comes with a 55cm shaft that is long enough to assist on gentle slopes - in the walking stick position. Once you reach steeper terrain or technical ice sections the moderate curve in the shaft protects the hand and aids efficient anchoring.

Like the pick, the shaft is type 2 (technical) rated, with a thicker design than other models (increasing torsional strength and traction) for safe technical ascents.

Overall Verdict

A versatile ice axe that is ideal for easy to intermediate alpine climbs, its relatively low weight (saves your arms on longer climbs) is great value for money, and the solid construction won’t let you down.

About the Author: Pete Fletcher - Outdoor Expert Pete grew up hiking most of the trails in the Lake District before being introduced to skiing. A decade later and you're most likely to find him snowboarding, skateboarding or making a mean coffee.