Black Diamond

Compact, versatile technical mountaineering piolet

Compact and light enough to stash and carry when not needed, the Black Diamond Venom Adze is more technical than the Raven or Swift. The Venom is for alpinists and ski mountaineers who want a swingable ice axe for climbing steeper alpine terrain, as well as a piolet-style axe for lower-angle snow climbing. Its replaceable Classic Pick sticks and holds in steep ice while offering solid self-arrest function on snow. The curved shaft and dual-density grip penetrate hard snow well, making this axe extremely functional when climbing iced-up couloirs, steep rime ice or exposed snow traverses. Venom Hammer also available.