Was that a red Spire Tech ice axe in the background of the DMM carabiner clip? Next to the Vertex. Or something new?
Cool, thanks! Yes the trigger was already available.
I don’t suppose any sign of new tech axes from DMM? I’ve heard rumours they might be refreshing the Switch and/or Apex but maybe too early for official news.
No sign of those at OTS, but I do hope the rumours are true
OTS tends to focus on products for the following spring/summer, so I wouldn't have expected them to be there; however, I'd hope that this rumour (which I have also heard...) will materialise at OTS/Slide, which takes place in January, and tends to focus on products coming out the following autumn/winter.
I just had a note from DMM about the Spire and Spire Tech:
“The axe tubes on all DMM axes going forward will be shot blast, this gives the
textured surface and they are then anodised to give the colour/ corrosion protection. So they are not powder coated.”
I almost remembered!
I had heard they were coming THIS winter! Looks like the Quarks will have to do another winter (of sitting in the cellar....).
> I had heard they were coming THIS winter! Looks like the Quarks will have to do another winter (of sitting in the cellar....).
Maybe I heard that too, although saying this - I'm now doubting what I heard (and where I heard it from) 😂
Let me see if I can do some digging...
I've just had word back from DMM and there's good and bad news.
The good news is that we're not going mad and there are definitely two new aggressive axes in development, so we didn't imagine it after all
The bad news is that it's not looking like they'll be out this year and time-wise their exact arrival was very much tbc.
As such, watch this space...
There were some photos of them floating around on Instagram this winter, they look pretty snazzy.
Ahhh, that's what I saw them!! Thanks for reminding me 😂
They did look snazzy too, didn't they?!
Like a rebel axe for the 2020's, they'll need to make a new lara croft film
By the time they come out I might actually have some time in life to go winter climbing again so that might work perfectly. I’m still sure Fred said this winter though…..!
At the risk of being a bit obsessive, do you have any recollection as to where they might have been posted? It would be cool to see them.
Tim Neill has a set, so probably in a photo of him. I got the chance to have a look at them in person last winter, very nice indeed.
Thanks, I had a bit of a look but couldn’t find any, although I have now seen the pic Alex posted in the next post.
How interesting! So were they like Switches but with the cutouts? Or perhaps a different shape too?
Hmm! How intriguing. Thank you
It's probably machined from a single bit of aluminium like the handle of the current switch, but not the shaft (hydroformed?).
Something along these lines…? https://kailasgear.com/collections/ice-tools/products/entheos-ii-ice-axe
Hard to judge without side by side comparison but they did look very curved and aggressive, similar to x-dreams (my very amateur evaluation, take with a grain of salt). My understanding is that DMM Cortexes are going to be released for winter 23/24, with a rated full-strength spike (lower clipping point) and a very substantial price tag.
That's very exciting, thank you for the heads up. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes peeled!
Also interested in any potential update on the Apex.
From the photo it looks very similar to the Entheos, however I wonder if they are perhaps forged then machined (like the Rebel was), as opposed to being purely CNC like the Entheos.
The Entheos II is actually an absolutely phenomenal tool and I would imagine they would be a UK winter mixed favorite due to their durability if only they were more readily available. They also top the list as the highest quality axes I've ever handled (depending on year of manufacture though!).
These new DMM axes also remind me of the Grivel Machine 3.0, e-Climb Cryo and the Forecast Nor'easter... et al.
We've gone through various iterations of tools with hydroformed or carbon fiber shafts, so I will absolutely share in the excitement at seeing more skeleton shaft, CNC or forged tools available.