Grivel’s Ghost range is well established, in fact we reviewed the Ghost ax in 2018 as part of a winter running article. The standard Ghost was joined by a hammer version as well as an upgraded “evo” version with a more functional tip addressing one of the few criticisms I had about the original Ghost. The addition of the Ghost Tech brings a more technical choice, an interesting new hammer configuration and above all (in my opinion) a deployable hand/finger rest.
Lightweight tools such as the Ghost have seen increasing popularity, likely aided by increased participation in ski touring as well as the growth of more extreme mountain racing challenges. These two mountain sports favor lightweight equipment, especially when this equipment will only be used intermittently during a “normal” day. The original Ghost range is intended for moderate mountaineering where you are unlikely to encounter really steep hard firn and certainly not ice. With the Ghost Tech, Grivel sought to expand the Ghost’s mandate;
“The Ghost Tech is designed for technical mountaineering. The laser-cut steel blade is shaped suitable for use on very hard, cold snow and ice.
With no UIAA standard for “technical mountaineering,” you’ll have to choose your own definition, but it’s clear that the Ghost Tech is designed to perform better on steeper trains and harder terrain, even perhaps – being on the odd ice step – something that is becoming more and more common even on moderate classic alpine routes as the summer snow cover recedes. So what has changed? Starting with the handle, the slight curve introduced with the Evo models has been increased significantly, which not only increases the relative pick angle, but also improves knuckle clearance in ice ax pull mode as well as keeping your hands out of the snow when climbing moderately steep slopes. . The pick itself is now stiffer and more aggressive with teeth over 2/3 of its length with the hammer/adze combo flush with the top of the pick, improving comfort. Finally, at the end of the rod is a flip-up wire hand rest reminiscent of a finger carabiner.
After using the Ghost Tech for a little over 6 months, it is clear that the changes actually make it a more technically efficient tool. However, there are some design aspects you should be aware of before choosing Ghost technology for your next ride. First of all, it is a short tool which obviously saves a little weight and makes it easy to store, but that means the ice ax cane is only possible on fairly steep terrain and I don’t measure only 173 cm! It would be nice to see it offered in at least a 50cm version, but I suspect Grivel sees it as an additional tool to pair with a ski or hiking pole. Speaking of the ice ax cane, there is no tip like the Evo, just the handle cut at an angle and plugged with foam like the standard Ghost, this saves weight but reduces versatility, signaling can – to be clear once again that the Ghost Tech is not intended for ice-axe work. The adze/hammer combo is a bit of wishful thinking in my opinion. It works wonderfully as a hammer given its light weight, but as an adze it’s rather hopeless. We’re not going to have much fun cutting steps (especially with a 45 cm handle!) but even cutting a foothold in hard snowfield was useless and I resorted to using a pick, also digging a T-slot ax relay (just for fun). However, the hammer ‘wings’ form a nice, comfortable support for your hand in ice ax cane mode – much better than the original Ghost. A light hammer if decent but not an adze. The finger/hand rest was very useful, easy to deploy even with cold fingers, it was extremely reassuring on steep steps and catching rock fragments etc. on short mixed passages. With light racing gloves it certainly wasn’t the most comfortable finger rest and even with heavier gloves it probably wasn’t the best for sustained climbing, but for short steep sections of five or six perfectly acceptable moves. Finger rests like Grivel’s G-Slider will be more comfortable for extended use, but as a just-in-case solution it’s easy to deploy the Ghost Tech’s palm rest, it’s just about perfect. The weakness of pop-out rests is obviously that they get destroyed when plunged into hard snow and stuck between rocks, but so far the Ghost Tech’s palm rest is holding up admirably. Self-arrest was OK with the Ghost Tech but a little snappier than I remember with the standard Ghost and I don’t know if it’s just me but I find the short tools less comfortable to get into. self-stop.
Overall I found the Ghost Tech a great little ax for a bit of glacier travel, winter runs in Scotland and as a bit of backup for a few days with a single ax when uncertain conditions might mean that A second ax is very welcome. The Ghost Tech would be a good choice for runners, climbers facing a glacial/snowy slope approach and descent of a large alpine rock route, and ski mountaineers. The Ghost Tech also turned out to be the ax of choice for one Killian Jornet during his latest foray into the Himalayas – check out the article here.
Update. Killian once again opted for the Ghost Tech during his superb Alpine Connections crossing!
Benefits
- Light
- Difficult
- Technical choice for steep steps
- Excellent trigger rest
Disadvantages
- Single short length
- The Adze/Hammer combo only works like a hammer
MSRP 117.95
Resellers
Disclaimer – CGR reviewers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not accept advertising. We are a group of passionate climbers and travelers who accept product samples and provide an honest, independent review of the item. The examiner will often keep the sample after examining it for hygiene reasons and, more often than not, is not in a position to return it!