technical ice axes

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 Benstar 22 Jan 2018

What's out there?

I know about the usual suspects. Nomics,fusions, switch, tech machines. 

Ive recently found the cryo 2 and x dream. 

Is there any other axes I haven't found yet?

 climber34neil 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Benstar:

BD fuel,  all the grivel master series, ergo, aspeed carbon

 climber34neil 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Benstar:

Also the Kronos wood/resin tools and as well as the aspeed ice rock make one called skeleton which looks like what you would get if the aspeed and cryos had a baby

 joe.91 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Benstar: I'd hold on until this weekend, its the large Outdoor Retailer and ISPO events where new products are released and a little bird has told me Petzl are bringing out some new tools...

 HeMa 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Benstar:

Krukonogi Svarogs and Tvorogs...

And numerous others.


The few things to consider (if planning on gettin' some) is 1st to figure out what you want to do with them. The Tvorogs & Aspeeds are steller for hard comp-style drytooling or mixed... less so for verical to slabby technical winter climbing or pure ice lines.

And do you assume some or a lot of progression... Again. Nomics ain't really that useful for grade II gully snow plods, but if you think you'll be soon climbing continental ice up to grade 6 and scottish winter bashing to VIII (well, V or VI for scottish and 4+ for ice is the real breaking point where the ergo-tools start to make more sense), then they might. If your ambitions are lower... perhaps Sum'Tec would be a better option (new one, that utilizes Quark/Nomic/Ergo picks).

Another thing to consider is picks and how has the manufacturer done things in the past... Grivel is AFAIK the worst, having changed the picks now like 3 or 4 times. BD hasn't changed since Chounard came out with X15. I beleive this is also the same with E-Climb (so same picks for all tools and no problems with obsolete models). Petzl has tweaked the systems... so older models are not supported any more (at least without work). DMM has changed the picks once (AFAIK).... Cassins hasn't changed, but have 3 systems currently. And the rest, well "new" so not enough timeframe to get an opinion (but Aspeeds and Krukonogies will prolly continue to use the same "system" even if they come out with new models... because developping something new is spendy...). So if you foresee using the tools for 10-15 years... with Grivel you might be sh*te out of luck only after a year or two. So factor in the fact, that tools tend to last quite long ('cept Nomics), but getting spares might prove difficult after a while... also some picks just cost an arm and  a leg... luckily there are cheaper aftermarket options avaialable these days.

 Casa Alfredino 23 Jan 2018
In reply to HeMa:

DMM has changed a lot more than once - there were Aliens and predators, then the Fly and Xenos, then the forged body axes which were totally different and now the Apex and Switch - all totally different. That's before you look at the raptor.

For what it's worth having tried the DMM Apex and Grivel North Machine, pretty much side by side, the Grivels are far far superior. Sure the picks might change in the future, but they place so damned well...

 HeMa 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Casa Alfredino:

> DMM has changed a lot more than once 

True, forgot to mention the timefra of ~10 years


And yes, how a tool behaves is mighty important... with just repeat offenders (namely Grivel), best to stock up beforehand on spare pics... and pray that either they won't yet again change the system, or that other aftermarket options are available.

For what it is worth, Nomic has been the second best ice tool (for ice, WI3+ upwards) I have had the pleasure of using. X Dream being better.

For non ergo-tools, Cassins options are still the best... but haven't tested the newest grivels, the 3.0 something was however rather good tool for those that think they won't be climbing harder than WI5 or so.

OP Benstar 23 Jan 2018
In reply to joe.91:

I'll keep an eye out. 

 drsdave 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Casa Alfredino:

Ive got both and seeing as i was in Sottogunda this year I took the Grivels, and as you say, brilliant. But would I take them to Scotland? er NO! The DMM Apex is built for British mountaineering and climbing. I dont mind cramming my nice shiny new Apex's into some granite but nice carbon shafts I think not.

OP Benstar 23 Jan 2018
In reply to HeMa:

I'm not in the market to buy at the minute. I was just wondering what was out there.

When I do think of buying I am probably more interested in the dry tooling and Euro ice type of axes. Something to sit alongside my quarks. 

I have been having a look at the grivel website. They make some cool looking axes but you make some good points there about their picks. I'm not sure I'd want to retire a set of axes due to the picks being unavailable.

I am under no illusion that any of these axes will make me climb harder lol

 Casa Alfredino 23 Jan 2018
In reply to drsdave:

I'm not sure they are as frail as you make out - they are not a pure carbon tool like for example the Cobra but a carbon wrap around an aluminium tube. That said of course they will be more fragile than an all alu tool. But then I hear they make some of those too My point was more that Grivel tools place very well. Personally I'm not a fan at all of the Apex - they are OK on steep ice, but I didn't think they performed any better than the grivels despite having loads more weight behind them. If the Grivels did have more head weight, I would imagine they would only place better...

cb294 23 Jan 2018
In reply to Casa Alfredino:

+1 for the Grivels, fortunately there are still plenty of Monster style picks for my old Matrix Techs on the market! 

I will probably go with Grivel again with the next pair of axes I will buy (for my daughter, I am a gear junkie but there are limits...)

CB

 joe.91 25 Jan 2018
In reply to Benstar: Petzl dropping the new Nomic this weekend as predicted according to their FB! 

 


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