piolet

CONT: Un piolet bien aiguisé facilite beaucoup l'escalade. [Exemple entériné par le Comité d'uniformisation de la terminologie des bulletins d'avalanche.]
OBS: piolet; piolet de glace : termes uniformisés par le Comité d'uniformisation de la terminologie des bulletins d'avalanche.

CONT: In size and weight, ice tools are similar to something you might buy at your local hardware store. The head of the tool boasts a pick on one side and either an ""adze"" (a flat, chisel-like device used for chopping holes in ice) or a hammer on the other. ... A lot of ice tools are named after birds, since the pick of the tool is reminiscent of a bird's beak ... : ""Hummingbird,"" ""Woodpecker,"" ""Blackbird,"" ""Thunderbird.""
CONT: A sharp ice tool will make the climbing much easier. [Example approved by the Avalanche Bulletin Terminology Standardization Committee.]
OBS: Ice axes are longer than ice tools, and they are rarely used on steep ice.