Scaling Aid is a term used to describe the tools used to help climbers ascend a mountain. The most common tools used for this purpose are ladders, ice axes, and pitons. Ladders are a type of portable staircase that can be used to climb up steep surfaces. Ice axes are tools with a sharp pick at one end and a flat adze at the other, used for cutting steps in ice or snow. Pitons are metal spikes that are driven into cracks in rock to provide support for a climber. An ice axe can also be referred to as an iceaxe.