Designed by Bob Culp and produced by Ushba Mountain Works, this tool is unlike any other in the world. It is made completely from titanium alloys for strength, durability, and reduced weight; intended for situations where featherweight is a plus, without compromising function.

Unlike other ultra-light axes, the Altai is designed to perform in technical climbing as well as in general mountaineering situations.

•The pick features a curved alpine shape with zero tip clearance for piolet anchors, step cutting, and self arrests. Its aggressive tip- angle holds in shallow placements. Graduated teeth along the pick provide secure placements in all types of ice and snow without excessive sticking.

•The adze is shaped for clearing snow and cutting steps.

•The spike is very sharp for quick penetration, and it bites into the hardest ice for balance while making tricky moves.

•The pick, adze, and spike are made from a special titanium alloy that offers extraordinary strength and durability.

•The shaft is a seamless, formed, titanium tube for unparalleled strength in shaft belays. It features a unique one-piece, welded design for strength.

•The shaft has no rubber coating or sleeve making it easier to plunge into the snow. Also, titanium has a low heat conducting coefficient; this shaft is not nearly as cold as conventional aluminum shafts.

The Altai axe replaces all other general mountaineering axes. For glacier walking, the Altai in the longer shaft lengths is feather light, but is not a "toy" axe with an aluminum pick. Nor does it sport a fake spike that is little more than a sliced-off shaft. If you need to use it for more serious climbing or a violent self arrest, it is ready to go. For mountaineering at extreme altitude, the Altai is a no-compromise tool that can be relied upon in any situation. For alpine rock climbing, the Altai in the shorter shaft lengths is almost unnoticeable in the rucksack, but ready to come out at any time for cutting a few steps across a gully, making a quick shaft belay, climbing up the bergshrund, or providing security on a glacier descent.

"We approached the base of the Gervasutti Couloir in early summer. A light snow cover disguised the small crevasses at the base of the climb and having an ice axe was nice for peace of mind. Both of us had Altai axes. The climb is difficult enough to suggest rock climbing shoes, so the mountain boots went into the rucksack. With already heavy packs, it was great to have such lightweight axes. Near the top of the climb, in the summit gulleys, a patch of ice was easily dealt with by cutting a step or two. Coming down I secured my partner at the start with a boot axe belay and carried the Altai on the rest of the descent. We could have done the climb with no axes or with heavier conventional tools like other parties were using, but we were grateful to have our Altai's. They were the perfect tools." - Bob Culp

Shaft Lengths:

55cm - good for steep snow and ice or carrying in the rucksack for occasional use on mainly rock climbs in an alpine setting.

60cm - good all-around alpine length for shorter people

70cm - standard all-around alpine length. Good general mountaineering length for shorter people.

75cm and 80cm - general mountaineering lengths

Determining the length that is right for you: To choose the correct shaft length for general mountaineering, hold the axe in walking stick position with your arm dropped at your side. The tip of the spike should be a few inches above the ground so that when the spike is buried in the snow when you are traversing a slope of moderate incline, your uphill hand (holding the axe) is in a comfortable position - not too high or so low you have to stoop to make contact with the slope.