Goatpacker... l/w axes have been the topic of conversation here several times... do a search going back over several years and you'll find several options.

One thing to remember... ice axes rely to a certain extent on head weight, so a super light head may dink off hard snow just when you want it to dig in. Look for an axe that saves its weight in the shaft rather than the head, and don't go with the lightest option you find. I think the lightest I've seen is something like 10oz, which just isn't enough bang for the buck. My BD Raven Pro is 17oz. I think they may have a new version that weighs in at 15 oz... I don't think I'd go much lighter than that unless your snow fields are very low angle and small and you're not likely to pick up much speed. Also, it is important to know when you're going to be doing your hike... old "rotten" snow can become so granular in the summer that self-arresting with any tool becomes very very difficult. Alaska's largest mountaineering disaster ever was the result of 14 people trying to self-arrest while sliding down a couloir of rotten snow in July. Two people died, 10 ended up in the hospital.

MNS
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