↑ 032: Royal Robbins/Alpélit
- Made in France [mid–1970s].
- 60x28 cm.
- Aluminum Shaft with Rubber Grip.
- Fixed Head with carabiner hole.
- Curved adze with curved edge.
- Curved Alpine pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 5 ventral teeth near the tip and 5 more near the shaft.
- Round fluted spike.
- An aluminum shaft is stronger than wood, but it onducts heat well, chilling the hand. The head has a step on top to allow the user to hammer the pick into snow or ice.
- These were the first aluminum handled ice axes. They were probably made by the French firm Laprade R. Desmaison. Some of these are marked “R Desmaison” and Laprade axes of the period are strikingly similar in design and finish.
