BCA Shaxe
The latest backcountry shovel innovation to come through the office is the BCA Shaxe. Shovel meets ice axe.
Backcountry skiers need to carry shovels but never really want to deploy them for their intended companion rescue purpose. Fortunately, shovels are also handy for digging out your car, truck or snowmobile. Several manufacturers have worked to combine snow saws and probe poles into shovel handles to help simplify the gear we need to carry. BCA combines shovel and ice axe.
Shovel meets Ice Axe
The BCA Shaxe merges two tools to save weight and space in your pack. It’s a great tool. It’s sturdy, compact and full of utility. The Shaxe builds on the proven design of the BCA RS shovel by adding a stout, full-size ice axe head that can be swapped into the handle. The result is a utilitarian shovel and a functional ice axe.
Unlike shovels that incorporate a snow saw or probe into the handle for storage, the axe head does not store inside the handle between uses. It mounts directly to the handle. It does not compromise the utility of the shovel. Once converted into an axe, you’ve got a full-size pick and adze on a 20-inch shaft. The connection to the shaft is secure and solid enough for honest axe use. The Shaxe comes with a small zip pouch in which to store the axe head – plus the hardware (four screws) used for building a rescue sled with the blade and handle.
When is the Shaxe Better than a Shovel
My take is that on the days when I feel a need for an axe and a shovel, the axe tends to be my primary tool. So I carry the shaft with the axe head installed and strapped to my pack as if it were my ice axe (because it is). The shovel blade remains stowed in my pack as normal. The axe head works as a shovel handle grip in a pinch and you could always take the standard handle grip along, too.
The compromise with the Shaxe is the fixed length of your shovel handle. You are also limited to a 20-inch (50 cm) ice axe. But all of the components are well made, and the simple handle connection makes for easy transitions from shovel to axe or vice versa. The full package weighs in at 1 lb 11 oz (the same as the standard RS shovel), and it saves me nearly a pound (13 ounces) when compared to packing my shovel and lightweight ice axe (Black Diamond Raven Ultra Ice Axe) separately – a significant weight savings when packing light is your goal.
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