What’s the difference between a B and a T ice axe?

−0

Some ice axes are labeled as “B”, others as “T”. What’s the meaning of these letters and what are their practical implications?

mountaineering ice-axes

posted almost 12 years ago

CC BY-SA 3.0

zoul‭

194 reputation 13 32 24 0

Raw

Markdown

History

is a duplicate

This question has been asked before and has already been answered. It should be marked as a duplicate.

Please enter the URL of the proposed duplicate in the details field below.

not constructive

This question cannot be answered in a way that is helpful to anyone. It's not possible to learn something from possible answers, except for the solution for the specific problem of the asker.

This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/q/3616. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

2 answers

Score Active Age

−0

These letters stand for Basic and Technical

The real differences are:

B's are lighter, relatively cheap and not recommended for technical climbing. They are considered general mountaineering axes.
T axes are heavier and much stronger. They will cope with technical climbs and be much more durable.

Aside from that, they look similar and the same styles and shapes are available.

Additionally (and I didn't know this until I saw one that confused me) - you can have a technical axe with the blade and the shaft rated separately. For example a T shaft for strength and durability, with a B blade for flexibility.

posted almost 12 years ago

CC BY-SA 3.0