Objects Database

Chouinard Zero Ice Hammer

Accession Number

1235.2015.1

Object Name

Chouinard Zero Ice Hammer

Created

21/04/2015

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

21/04/2015

Brief Description

Ice hammer with wooden shaft,serrated pick,square hammer and pointed ferrule.

Materials

wood, steel

Dimensions

55(l) x 26(length of head) cms

Number Of Objects

Inscription Description

On one side of head " OAC CHOUINARD ZERO" and diamond with "C" inside.
On other side " CAMP INTERALP MADE IN ITALY PREMANA"

Colour

silver

Maker

Chouinard

Object Production Place

Italy

Provenance

Created in 1969 by American climber and equipment manufacturer Yvon Chouinard, the Chouinard Zero ice axe is probably one of the most iconic axes ever made. It came at a time when there was a major revolution in ice climbing as climbers were moving away from the step cutting era and venturing out into the steep vertical ice falls which required new tecniques such as 'front pointing' with crampons and drooped picks on ice axes which had a better hold in the ice.
In Glencoe, Scotland, Hamish MacInnes invented his revolutionary Terrordactyl ( which you will find elsewhere in this collection) while Chouinard claimed the first curved pick on his axes.
For a very brief period in the 1970's, Zeros were the Rolls Royce of ice axes, though the wooden shafts were becoming a thing of the past and whilst Chouinard was quick to change to a metal shafted version with the same head, they never quite made the grade when compared to the wooden ones.
We are assuming that there were far less Zero hammers made than there were axes as they seem to be very rare indeed, so we were delighted when our old pal, Dave (Heavy) Whalley, gave us one in 2015. Yet another icon to complement our collection.