Developed in 1973, the Hummingbird was the first modular ice axe. Greg and Michael Lowe filed in 1976 and received U. S. Patent #4,064,644 for the Hummingbird in 1977.
Denis Pivot of C.A.M.P. provided the following information on C.A.M.P.'s relationships with other manufacturers:
CAMP and Other Manufacturers
CAMP has always maintained good relations with its competitors. The biggest brands (Chouinard, Black Diamond, Lowe, Cassin, Salewa, Simond, Charlet-Moser, Petzl), thanks to the confidence they had in CAMP's manufacturing quality, subcontracted the manufacturing of mountain equipment to CAMP. This was an opportunity for the latter to make its industrial tooling profitable.
CAMP – Interalp
In 1968, CAMP entrusted its French multi-card agent, Mr. Robert Charles Maillot, with the marketing of its products outside Italy. Through his company INTERALP, Maillot distributed various brands of mountain equipment in Europe and thus helped to make CAMP known outside Italy. In the 1970s, it was common to stamp the manufacturer and distributor brand on equipment, such as Robbins (distributor in the USA of the Alpélit brand) and Alpélit (French manufacturer of ice axes).
Over time, INTERALP focused on developing its own company and hid CAMP's role as designer and manufacturer. CAMP, unable to accept this, withdrew distributing from INTERALP in 1980 and reorganized its distribution network worldwide.
(Without the CAMP brand, the INTERALP company disappeared in a few years…)
CAMP - LOWE
The LOWE brothers came to Europe to find a competent industrialist to bring their revolutionary ideas to fruition. After a meeting in Germany, the Lowe brothers and Orazio Codega, CEO of CAMP, had the Hummingbird prototype tested on the north face of Monte Disgrazia in Italy. Orazio, enthusiastic about this field test, concluded an industrial and commercial agreement.
CAMP produced 100% of LOWE equipment of all time, starting with the production of the Hummingbird, then the Footfang, the Snarg ice screw and the Tricam. Commercially, CAMP distributed these LOWE products worldwide except in the USA and Canada where LOWE distributed them through its sales channel. At the beginning of the distribution in Europe, Salewa dealt with the Germanic countries. This explains the 4 brands stamped on the Hummingbird: LOWE for North America, SALEWA for the Germanic countries, CAMP for the rest of the world and INTERALP as a sales agent for CAMP.
In return, LOWE distributed CAMP in the USA and CAMP distributed LOWE backpacks in Italy. These years of close collaboration between the two brands created very strong ties. When LOWE decided to stop producing the hardware equipment, CAMP continued to produce it under its own brand and that is why the Tricams are still in the CAMP catalog.
;?>/MfgHistory/CAMPsubhistory/CAMPHistoryPhoto1.jpg)
Ice Axes
Each of these has an adze that is removable to convert the axe to an ice hammer. The adze is secured with two round-head allen screws, so removing it mid-climb is impractical.
Lowe offered at least three adzes for these axes: a tubular adze, a standard flat adze, and a split flat adze.
↑ 264: Lowe/C.A.M.P./Interalp/Salewa Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1980].
- 565x245 mm.
- Weight: 925 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 31x21 mm. (Grip: 38x26 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Tubular adze, removable to reveal hammer face.
- Adze: 79(l)x36(d) mm.
- Modular tubular pick with a tubular, internally beveled tip and with 3 teeth on each side of the dorsal ice clearance slot.
- Pick: 85(l)x16(d) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 28(l)x13(d) mm.
- Locking glide ring.
- The tubular pick is designed for brittle waterfall ice.
- Stamped glide ring locks against downward pull. Yes, it can slip if webbing tension is released.
- The 5/8 in. (15.8 mm.) pick base is retained by a cross screw.
- Developed in 1973, the Hummingbird was the first modular ice axe. This is a later version.
- The head is stamped "HUMMINGBIRD" and "U.S.A." on top, but this axe was made in Italy. The pick is stamped with "HUMMINGBIRD" on top.
- The grip is moulded with "LOWE," "CAMP," "INTERALP," and "SALEWA" on each side.
↑ 268: Lowe/C.A.M.P. Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1986].
- 480x235 mm.
- Weight: 880 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 33x24 mm. (Grip: 35x25 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Tubular adze, removable to reveal hammer face.
- Adze: 79(l)x36(d) mm.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 10 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 105(l)x19(h)x7(t) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 28(l)x13(d) mm.
- Camp leash attached to hole in shaft.
- This axe is a later version that replaced the glide ring with webbing holes through the shaft.
- The 14 mm. pick base is retained by an end screw.
- This version is stamped "LOWE CAMP," "HUMMINGBIRD," and "MADE IN ITALY.".
- The pick has "HUMMINGBIRD" stamped on one side.
↑ 149: Lowe/C.A.M.P. Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1986].
- 525x245 mm.
- Weight: 935 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 33x24 mm. (Grip: 35x25 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Flat adze, removable to reveal hammer face. and no arch.
- Adze: 90(l)x66(w)x0(arch) mm.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 10 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 105(l)x19(h)x7(t) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 28(l)x13(d) mm.
- Camp leash attached to hole in shaft.
- This axe is a longer version of #268.
- Shown with the split adze option.
My split adze sits at a tilt, as did another one tht I tested. This would be easy to fixed. - The 14 mm. pick base is retained by an end screw.
- This version is stamped "LOWE CAMP," "HUMMINGBIRD," and "MADE IN ITALY.".
- The pick has "HUMMINGBIRD" stamped on one side.
↑ 266: Lowe/C.A.M.P. Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1988].
- 550x220 mm.
- Weight: 871 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 31x21 mm. (Grip: 36x27 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Tubular adze, removable to reveal hammer face.
- Adze: 79(l)x36(d) mm.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 10 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 85(l)x16(h)xx6.4(t) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 24(l)x11(d) mm.
- Webbing strap tied to carabiner hole in head.
- A later Hummingbird with a straight shaft.
- The 14 mm. pick base is retained by an end screw.
- This version is stamped "LOWE CAMP," "HUMMINGBIRD," and "MADE IN ITALY.".
- The pick has "HUMMINGBIRD" stamped on one side.
↑ 228: Lowe/C.A.M.P. Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1988].
- 550x220 mm.
- Weight: 895 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 31x21 mm. (Grip: 36x27 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Tubular adze, removable to reveal hammer face.
- Adze: 79(l)x36(d) mm.
- Modular waterfall ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 10 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 85(l)x16(h)xx6.4(t) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 24(l)x11(d) mm.
- Webbing loop tied through hole in shaft.
- Same model as #266. A previous owner added friction tape and built a knob from it to create a better grip.
- The 14 mm. pick base is retained by an end screw.
- This version is stamped "LOWE CAMP," "HUMMINGBIRD," and "MADE IN ITALY.".
- The pick has "HUMMINGBIRD" stamped on one side.
↑ 175: Lowe/C.A.M.P. Hummingbird
- Made in Italy [ca. 1988].
- 550x245 mm.
- Weight: 840 g.
- Rubber-covered Aluminum Shaft.
- Shaft: 31x21 mm. (Grip: 31x23 mm.)
- Full modular head with carabiner hole.
- Flat adze, removable to reveal hammer face. and no arch.
- Adze: 90(l)x63(w)x0(arch) mm.
- Modular ice climbing pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 6 ventral teeth.
- Pick: 85(l)x16(h)xx6.4(t) mm.
- Barbed round spoke.
- Spike: 24(l)x11(d) mm.
- Webbing strap tied to carabiner hole in head.
- A Hummingbird similar to # 228 and #266 but with a bent shaft that provides additional knuckle clearance.
- I have a standard adze and a straight pick installed on this one.
- The 14 mm. pick base is retained by an end screw.
- This version is stamped "LOWE CAMP," "HUMMINGBIRD," and "MADE IN ITALY.".
- The pick has "HUMMINGBIRD" stamped on one side.
