We’re assuming that the title ‘Walker’ for this hammer (see advert above) refers to the Walker Spur, one of the great Alpine climbs, rather than just a walker! We’ve called it a piton/ice hammer as it seems to be designed for both, and both pitons & ice would be encountered on the Walker Spur.

This hammer was one of the many to appear in the early 1970s as ever steeper climbs were tackled at home and abroad. Stubai was well known for producing robust gear, though design wasn’t a strong point, the bulbous shaft was not very handy for plunging into soft ice and snow and while the pick was pretty good for the era, better versions soon came along.

Stubai got famous Austrian mountaineers Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler to endorse their new hammer which no doubt helped with sales.