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Well after recently doing a summer recon mission to an Australian Peak called Mt Feathertop and looking at the climb back out of some of the chutes i think it time for an Ice Axe and crampons. Being Australian I know very little about climbing ice. Any tips would be great.

A few questions:

What Length?
Curved Handle or straight?
Do you use a leash?


Cheers

(I assume, we are only talking about climbing up chutes, but not about vertical ice climbing, right?)

I prefer a curved shaft, as I then don't crash my fingers against the ice every time, when holding the axe on the shaft below the axe's head.
My choice was a Petzl Summit axe.

I also use a Grivel Single Spring Leash, attached to my harness or backback's hipbelt. This way I avoid losing the axe when climbing on a rocky ridge using both hands, the axe briefly stored between back and backpack.

Length: if you only go steeps, you can go for a short axe. (eg. 50cm for a 190cm person)
If you also want to have it suitable for low-angle glacier travel, choose a longer one. (approx long enough to reach your ankles, when holding the axe at the head)
Mine is 60cm, I'm 191cm tall.

Hard to beat black diamond contact strap/clips for crampons, fit most boots and are extremely veritable. Raven ice axes are pretty great as well

RE Crampons: I recommend C.A.M.P. Stalkers over BD Contacts. They're cheaper, fit longer boots without an aftermarket long linking bar and come with a carrying case.

RE Ice Axe: x2 for FloImSchnee
I use my poles for low angle travel and bring the shortest, lightest axe I can afford using it only in the steeps; under the theory, "if it's heavy I won't bring it."
I strongly recommend two Whippets. Others don't. Here are all the discussions on Whippet use and mods.

Thanks for the replies gents.

Yep the tools are for climbing back up the chutes. Not vertical ice.

Some good tips there

Cheers

Unless you are going extremely vertical (like, Chamonix extreme vertical), you should do fine with aluminum crampons. Good enough for firm snow and low angle ice.
I use Stubai Ultralights.
Get a steel head lightweight axe with a straight shaft. Don't bother with a recurve - if you're asking advice here, you don't need it yet.
When things are really hairy, I carry one whippet and use voile straps to splint my ice axe to my other pole for sort-of a whippet-plus. My thinking is that if I need two whippets, what I really need is an ice axe.
Great reviews and advice here:
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Ice-Axe-R ... re#compare