Gear Review | Mammut Alugator Ultra

First impression

The first impression confirms it: Yes, this shovel is very light. It is also not particularly large, but in this respect it is roughly comparable with other standard models. The telescopic handle is also not excessively long and otherwise as you would expect a telescopic handle to be, without any special features. The blade has holes or symmetrical material cut-outs, which is also familiar from other Alugator models. In the description of these, there are references to "fixing holes for snow anchors and rescue sled construction". I would assume that the holes in the Alugator Ultra are also intended for this purpose (apart from the weight saving). The shovel also fits well in smaller backpacks.

At just under 400 g (exactly 395 g according to the manufacturer's website), the shovel is one of the lightest aluminium shovels on the market. The next lightest in the Alugator series is, I believe, the Alugator Light at 475g. The Ultra received an ISPO award for its "innovative material" in 2023. The shovel is made of 7075 aluminium and, according to Mammut, is "the first shovel of its kind with a welded construction". I can't classify the aluminium type any further and am only mentioning this for the sake of completeness. The shovel blade is thinner and noticeably less torsion-resistant than other models I had nearby for a comparison - an Alugator Pro Light and an older Pieps Tour.

I can't judge the durability of the Alugator Ultra, as I haven't used it enough yet. I haven't tried it out in heavy spring snow or in hard avalanche nodules either. I would tend to prefer a larger and somewhat more solid shovel for this, but I assume that the Ultra can also manage this in principle.

Conclusion

Very light aluminium shovel, particularly interesting if weight optimisation is a priority.

Information

• RRP €125,-

• Welded construction made of ultra-light, 1 mm thin 7075 aluminium, which is used in the aerospace industry.

• Telescopic handle with double-T cross-section for optimum lateral and torsional rigidity and outstanding grip

• Hardened and anodised aluminium blade

• Straight blade back for ideal cutting of snow profiles

• Stabilisation ribs for particularly high stability

• Space-saving blade design

• Symmetrical T-handle for efficient power transmission

• Automatic locking mechanism for fast and precise guidance during assembly

• Sharpened, tilt-resistant shovel blade with integrated step grids

• Certification: UIAA 156 avalanche shovel standard

Here is the link to the Mammut website with further information. Here avalanche shovels from Mammut can be purchased from our partner shop SportConrad.

The shovel was provided to PowderGuide by the manufacturer free of charge for testing. You can find out how we test it in our test statement.