Ultimately, the Quark is not the absolute lightest in its class, but it can get down to a very respectable (and usable) weight. That you for your considered opinion. Worst of all, it happened spontaneously out of the package during its first use so there is not much you can do to 100% prevent this from happening. Although the Switch is slightly heavier than the Apex, we preferred the swing and bite of the Apex on the ice. It works well on fairly high angled ice, as well as on lower angled, snowy terrain. I'm very happy with my Quarks. The link bars on the Petzl crampons have offset holes to allow for a precise fit, you can use a heel clip or strap system at the heel and wire or strap at the toe depending on the boots you are using. When climbing in the Himalaya, its important to have both an Adze and a hammer. Looking at the pommel unfolded and folded you can see that it does not streamline the tool much at all. I would only consider a screw now with a fold-out handle as they are so much easier to use and faster to place. We will post an update when Petzl gets back to us. An excellent simple double leash from Grivel, delivered without karabiners but Im sure you have plenty at home, there is no spinner system, so you have to be careful not to end up in a mess, but they are cheaper than any other model. German climber Alex Megos has completed the well-known project on Face de Rat atCese, naming it 'Ratstaman Vibrations' and has alluded to it being in the '9b range.'. Using old, janky gear on a hard route up Kang Yatse 1. The Quarks niche is supposed to be fast and light mountaineering, and the tools are definitely feel light in hand. (LogOut/ When that happens, the second pommel is no longer locked in place and will slide down the shaft if the climber grips above it and rests their weight on it. They can be difficult to remove but if they are that difficult to remove they were probably quite a good runner. I have used this a fair bit ski touring but I would question its durability in technical mixed terrain. Tighten the bolt on the trigger a tiny bit and it will grip tight. These vertical front points are more precise when climbing both on mixed and ice routes and use them on anything more difficult than grade IV in Scotland and waterfall route in the Alps where their penetration and security is amazing. All in all, the Petzl Quark is a great tool, and if you can get your hands on a pair (even temporarily), go for it. The trig-rest adjustment is easy to accidentally unlock during a climb which can cause issues on a climb. Thanks again for stopping by. The Grivel North Machine Carbon weighs 550 grams with the hammer or adze, but can also be used with just their Ice Blade pick without a hammer or adze. It also has a hydroformed shaft, so it is really comfortable to hold the shaft in different positions. Seems like a good way to injure finger tendons. A great axe which anyone putting themselves to the test in the mountains or on the steep ice should consider. Nuts and hexes the big difference in winter is that you will often be hammering these into iced-up cracks to make sure they are seated correctly, as a result they will be pretty bashed and abused by the end of a season so dont be afraid to have a winter set and a summer set. The Quark does not suffer the same flaw because it has an adjustable trig-rest which can be adjusted to where you prefer that second, higher pommel. Each print / digital issue and the website is packed with detailed coverage of key news, destination articles, interviews, gear reviews, Regular columnistsCaroline Ciavaldini and James Pearson, stunning photography, coaching and training. When I want to climb some water ice or more technical terrain then I can easily swap this for the front of a Dart crampon which is Petzls most technical Monopoint crampon. Thanks for the input. The head is smaller and neater than the previous Viper (will accept old blades apparently), the bolt system is the same with the notch in the bolt being sized so that it can be tightened by a pick on the hill. Petzls trig-rest system allows the user to adjust where this second pommel sits on the tool, and even allows the user to move it higher on the shaft to keep it out of the way when the tool is being used as a cane. One of my Quarks has an adze equipped, which in invaluable in clearing snow to place screws. The crampons below are all modular to a degree and there are more specialist lightweight mono points like the Grivel G21 and Black Diamond Stinger. Cams you need to be really careful using cams in the winter, any ice inside a crack can cause the cam to slip out, if it is loaded this failure is immediate and catastrophic. The Switch is DMMs most technical tool incorporating a more ergonomic shaped handgrip than the Apex. There are 2 other pick options: the PurIce picks designed specifically for ice climbing, or the Dry picks specifically for dry tooling. DPS, September 12, 2010 in The Gear Critic. If you want the pommel of your second grip to be just above your typical grip, the trigger is in between your fingers. On less steep terrain, it can be used as a piolet, with the ferrule plunged into the snow, even though it's a short, 50cm tool. These shaped shafts allow you to hook into holes and old tool placements in a way that was not possible with straighter shafts. While the Nomic and Ergonomic are better suited for steeper ice or mixed climbing, the Quarks are designed for technical mountaineering and low to medium angle ice climbing. A really nice system from Petzl using a swivel system like the Black Diamond Spinner the only real difference is that Petzl use wire gate snap link krabs. What say the peanut gallery? I've found, at least in comparison to the Quarks and X-All Mountains, the Viper tends to require more effort to get a solid placement, and binds really easily when you do. Either one is fine for leashless. Petzls pick system is compatible with the Sumtec, Quark, Nomic, and Ergonomic. Both the pick and shaft are rated T (or 2), for use on rock and ice. Really, really, fantastic. Just put a new coat of paint on the site. Which would you recommend for winter climbing up to VI ish and alpine use as well up to ED1 ish being used with or without leashes? In the big mountains, though, we rarely encounter ice that steep, and Im more concerned with the versatility of the tool. Ive always struggled to write gear reviews. Still the same old community of climbers, skiers, and people who love to get outdoors. Finally, we tested the Quark on moderate to steep ice to see how they compare with other tools on the same climbs and they climbed reasonably well. This makes it a great tool for any sort of approach or longer alpine routes. And they are pretty old. It isnt something that is going to injure a hand, but is something that is noticeable and irritating. My personal favourite has a spinner between where it attaches to the harness and where the webbing divides to go to both tools, this means that the leash is much less likely to tangle. The head weights have been redesigned as well giving a flared taper allowing for more mixed options or better traction in soft ice/firm snow (these will fit on the Quark). First lets start with the design and construction. (LogOut/ The Quarks weight can also be reduced to 465 grams by removing all of the accessories. http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-viper-hammer?ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6SWNlIHRvb2w6MTo3OkljZSB0b29s. Weighing in at 550 grams per tool with the hammer and adze they are just a bit lighter than the Black Diamond Vipers which weigh 570 grams. The Apex is a great versatile tool, at home both on the steep icefalls and longer mountain test pieces. The curve on the shaft is very generous and we found that this made a big difference when the climbing got steep and ice started to bulge and cauliflower. Avery similar point configuration to the Vasak but with two vertically aligned front points that have a slight T-section as they approach the body of the crampon ensures a good grip on snow as well as hard ice. As youd expect from an extremely technical tool, the handgrip on the Switch felt very positive when things got very steep and the upper grip worked really well. BD picks are much easier to swap. If I was buying new tools today I would go for a pair of Grivel Matrix Techs or Petzl Quarks for alpine mixed and ice, as well as a pair of Petzl Nomics for ice and mixed. We am not sure if this is something that Petzl experienced in their product development but adding extra mechanical mechanisms that arent needed is only introducing something that can fail at some point. This means that it can get down to a weight of 450 grams for the trade off of not having an accessory on the head. The aggressive pick angle and T rated pick mean it can also be used on rock quite comfortably. These are issues that dont exist on the similar Black Diamond Vipers. The obvious disadvantage of the nomics are that they are too aggressive, with a separate space for the hand. Change). The Petzl Quark ice tools are extremely versatile tools and seem like a great choice if you are looking for fast and light mountain tools that can also handle unexpected moderate to vertical ice. The folding handle on the 22cm ensures you will get the deepest possible V-thread placements. Better than the vipers for sure. One of the best tools out there. The issues with this tool lies in the small details. The quark has a TRIGREST, a small, movable rest that allows you to grab the tool in the higher position. These are an excellent pair of all-round technical crampons, they are basically a pair of G12s with adjustable vertical front points, these can easily be set up in bi or mono mode, so perfect for those wanting to try a mono but not commit to it. The profile too, is quite compact, and carries well on my pack. However, if Petzl added it we figured that there was a reason and we will test it out. Fortunately, it is designed in a way that the pommel cannot open past its original position. A fantastically versatile tool that is perfect for Scottish winter and cascades up to WI 4. That said I am Utah guy so I have certain loyalty to BD. includes discounted products from Rockfax. The shape of the tool made it somewhat difficult to climb over ice bulges and the grip rest was not the perfect shape to keep our hands effortlessly gripping the tool, but those are the trade-offs to making a tool more easily used in the cane position when mountaineering. All rights reserved. To any lovers of carbon fibre, this must be the sexiest ice tool in the market, the quality of workmanship in making the carbon shaft then glueing on the head is superb. Its not essentially a water ice tool, and I kept hurting my little finger. The Nomic set the standard for leash-less tools when it was released and the basic design is still intact, the latest version has a bigger handle and a metal grip on the base of the handle with a hole for a leash. Speaking of versatility, the Quark has numerous accessories that can be used to make it better suited for your climb. It has to be one of the finest pieces of engineering I have seen in an ice tool. For classifieds, please use that forum. Generally, the steeper the terrain the more radical the tool, however, the tools with extreme shafts are not so good on easier angled terrain. Maybe you should be looking at the Nomic? I recommend seeing if you can try one of each out before using it, just to get a better feel. Really easy to set up as mono or duo points, the micro-adjust on the heel ensures a good fit, the Pro model comes with a wire toe bail (check this compatibility with your boots, a wider version is available) and the clip has plastic straps at the front for boots without a toe welt. The Quark would easily be able to handle ice rated at WI3 and below.