In 1989, Chouinard Equipment was facing a liability lawsuit. Chouinard had to separate the liability of Chouinard Equipment from the deep pockets of Patagonia, which he had founded in 1973. Chouinard Equipment filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to protect the firm's assets. The lawsuit ultimately went nowhere. Peter Metcalf, Maria Cranor and former Chouinard Equipment employees purchased the company assets in 1989, formed Black Diamond Equipment Ltd., and moved the firm to Salt Lake City Utah.

Mountaineering Shovels

↑ 302: Black Diamond Mountaineering Shovel

• Made in USA [ca. 1990].
• 700x210 mm.
• Weight: 671 g.
• Handle provided, but allows using an ice axe as its shaft to shed weight.
• Designed to fit the Alpamayo ice axe, but it works fine with many standard ice axes and modern ice tools with straight shafts.
• 7075-T6 aluminum blade. Detachable 6061-T6 handle with PVC Grip.
• This is the same model as the original Chouinard Equipment shovel.