UKH

At OTS 2023 in Liverpool we got a chance to check out some of the new climbing gear due to hit the shelves next year: a range of bouldering pads from Black Diamond; interesting harnesses from the likes of Mammut, Ocun and Wild Country; and DMM's latest clean-nosed carabiner. 

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In reply to UKC Gear:

Was that a red Spire Tech ice axe in the background of the DMM carabiner clip? Next to the Vertex. Or something new?

In reply to UKC Gear: Good spot! DMM have powder coated the Spire and Spire Tech with a grippy surface and also made it red. There is now an aftermarket trigger which fits on both axes too although I can’t remember if this is already available (it was a long few days of being told about things!). 

In reply to rachcrewe:

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.

In reply to mcawle:

No sign of those at OTS, but I do hope the rumours are true

In reply to mcawle:

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.

In reply to mcawle:

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! 

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

I had heard they were coming THIS winter! Looks like the Quarks will have to do another winter (of sitting in the cellar....).

In reply to galpinos:

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...

In reply to galpinos:

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...

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

There were some photos of them floating around on Instagram this winter, they look pretty snazzy.

In reply to Alex Riley:

Ahhh, that's what I saw them!! Thanks for reminding me 😂

They did look snazzy too, didn't they?!

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Like a rebel axe for the 2020's, they'll need to make a new lara croft film

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

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…..!

In reply to Alex Riley:

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.

In reply to mcawle:

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.

In reply to finc00:

Ray looks pretty happy using them

In reply to finc00:

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? 

In reply to Alex Riley:

Hmm! How intriguing. Thank you

In reply to mcawle:

It's probably machined from a single bit of aluminium like the handle of the current switch, but not the shaft (hydroformed?).

In reply to Alex Riley:

Something along these lines…? https://kailasgear.com/collections/ice-tools/products/entheos-ii-ice-axe

In reply to mcawle:

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.

In reply to riazanovskiy:

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.

In reply to mcawle:

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.