The Outdoor Retailer trade show is THE place where manufacturers and brands come to showcase their newest prototypes and promises of gear to come.
There were plenty of fancy new goods to show off, even if the show had less climbing brands than usual. (One fallout of moving the show from Utah to Colorado on short notice was not many climbing brands were not able to make the Winter show this year). Below you’ll find all the new ice gear that will debut next fall.
Black Diamond
expected release is October, 2018
Reactor Ice Tool
The design goal of the Reactor was to land between the Cobra and the Fusion/Fuel in terms of function. It should climb ice well, and also transition to mixed climbing. The Reactor has an aluminum shaft and steel head with an aluminum side plate. BD’s Alpine hammer/adze works on the tool for those venturing into “All Mountain” terrain. The grip is offset, and is made with plastic overmolded with rubber. The Reactor has a more open pick angle allowing for lots of clearance and a natural swing. It will come with a new pick, the Natural Ice Pick (the old pick was the Ice Pick), that is shorter and thinner at the nose. Less volume should mean an easier time in and out of the ice. Size adjustability is done by changing inserts (a small or a large piece) at the top of the grip. Any pick BD has will fit on this rig – so, for example, you could put the Mixed pick on for mixed climbing.
Estimated Weight: 610 g
Price: 299.95
Ultralight Aluminum Ice Screws
On average, the Ultralight aluminum ice screws will be 45% lighter than the BD Express steel screws, which also means they’ll debut lighter than the Petzl Laser Speed Lights. They have an aluminum body with a steel tip insert (non-replaceable) and they’ll feature a two hole hanger. The knob is plastic and wiregate express handle reduces weight. These screws will excel in glacial travel, ski mountaineering, and when weight (not durability) really matters. Note: On the photo above the screws show threads extending the entire length of the screw, in production all the screws will only have ~10cm of threads, just like BD’s steel screws.
Estimated Weight: 13cm: 74 g, 16cm: 81g, 19cm: 89 g, 22cm: 96 g (no 10cm because they’re not as popular and the weight savings is less)
Price: $84.95
CAMP
expected release is July, 2018
Skimo Nanotech
For big mountain objectives, the Skimo Nanotech includes Sandvik Nanoflex® reinforced steel front points on the otherwise aluminum frame. The front of the crampon uses CAMP’s new T-stop ski boot system for a sturdier and faster fit than a traditional toe bail.
Weight: 474 g (with the optional Dyneema linking strap the total weight is 375 g)
Price: 199.95
Skimo Tour
Made for racing or touring, the Tour includes the T-stop, a toe binding system for ski boots. The linking bar is easier to adjust on the fly versus the Skimo Race series (below).
Weight: 450g (with the optional Dyneema linking strap the total weight is 350 g)
Price: $179.95
Skimo Race
Made for skimo competitions, the Race is an even more lightweight Skimo crampon that includes the rear bale along with the T-Stop toe system (semi-auto toe bails and heel bails are available separately for boots without toe welts). The micro-adjustable linking bar has both a large and small range to accommodate a wide range of foot sizes.
Weight: 428 g (with the optional Dyneema linking strap the total weight is 330 g)
Price: $179.95
Skimo Total Race Crampon
Made for the most competitive skimo racers, the Total Race is the lightest version in the CAMP skimo series, which has the patented tech fitting boot system in the back, and also the newly released T-Stop toe system in the front. It includes a front anti-balling plate. This will be the lightest crampon on the market when the optional Dyneema linking strap is used.
Weight: 350 g (with optional Dyneema linking bar the total weight is 290 g)
Price: $199.95
Dyneema Linking Strap Crampon Accessory
This Dyneema strap is an accessory for any of CAMP’s Skimo crampons. For example, when used on the Total Race it will take the weight from 350 grams, with the steel bar, down to 290 grams. The Dyneema strap will also allows the crampons to be folded for tighter packability.
Price: $25
Grivel
these pieces are actually available now, but it’s the first time we’ve seen them!
G20 Plus crampon (updated)
The G20 Plus is redesigned from the original G20, one of the lighter technical crampons on the market. The biggest update to G20 plus is the replaceable mono front point. This model will replace the previous G20. The G20 Plus has 8 main side points, the mono point, 2 new middle points that are perpendicular to the main axis to assist while descending, and the middle linking bar now also has 5 ancillary points (compared to 3 on the G20). The back of the crampon has an anti-balling plate. It can also fold in half for great packability.
Weight: 874 g
Price: $229.99
Ski Tour
The Ski Tour is designed to fit a ski boot; the lever is on the front versus the back, so the heel bail does not interfere with a boot in walk mode. The front plate is steel and the backplate is aluminum. It also has an “active” anti-bot system that pushes snow away from the crampon. Boot buckles can be threaded through the strap on the front bail to prevent opening. The Ski Tour will also come with a strap that can go around the boot for extra security.
Weight: 715g
Price: $209.95
Ski Race
The Ski Race crampon is basically the same crampon as the Ski Tour (described above) except both the front and back plates are aluminum. The boot strap is for added security (but not necessary on most ski boot models).
Weight: 410g
Price: $219.95
Ghost Evo
The Ghost Evo is a technical mountaineering ice axe for ski mountaineering or glacial travel and other places when you’re moving fast in the mountains and less weight is a priority. It’s an update from the original Ghost ice axe; the shaft of the Evo is slight curved which allows for a more aggressive pick angle. The end of the tool has a steel spike, which is great for plunging and preventing snow from collecting in the tool. The shape of the shaft is also in a “G-Bone” shape, which fits easier in the hand and allows for better ergonomics and rigidity. It’ll come in two lengths, 48cm and 53cm.
Weight: 48cm – 313 g
Price: $129.99
Cascade Plus + Dry Plus Ice Picks (updated)
The Cascade Plus pick is designed for pure ice climbing with a narrow blade to displace less ice and clean easier. The Dry Plus pick is designed for dry tooling and mixed climbing when you’re tweaking and torquing in the rock. Both are made from laser cut steel. These picks are called the “Plus” because they have extra attachment points at the back of the pick where an adze or hammer can be attached. Note: In the photo above, the Cascade Plus pick (on the left) is a prototype that does not yet have the back attachment points–it will have the same back attachment points that the Dry Plus does.
Grivel tools will start using these updated picks in their tools moving forward. They can be bought separately to use on any previous Grivel tools that have the Monster Head (like the Tech Machine and North Machine).
Price: $59.99 each
Petzl
expected by Fall, 2018
Note: Petzl didn’t actually attend the Winter Show proper, but they had a press event at the Ouray Ice Park a week prior.
Quark (updated)
The updated Quark has a hydroformed shaft for better grip when in daggar mode. The main grip is now more rectangular, which reduces over-gripping and improves indexing. The bottom pommel can now fold and lock in the up position for better plunging, or it can also lock in the down position while climbing ice. Because of a new nylon insert between the head and shaft, the strength of the tool is increased. This tool will work with most of Petzl’s picks and head accessories (mini-hammer, pick weights, etc).
Weight: 550 g with hammer or adze (465 grams with no accessories, like how Conrad Anker would use it)
Price: $260
Nomic (updated)
The updated Nomic has a hydroformed shaft for better indexing and pulling up high. It comes with an overmolded upper grip and a hollowed out lower grip. The decreased weight in the handle means Petzl was able to add a mini hammer to protect the head, with no weight change. The lower grip has flat sides and a flat front for less over-gripping and better indexing. The upper griprest is raised 1.5cm to increase the distance of each move when pulling up. It will be delivered with the Pur’Ice pick which is now 2.9mm at the tip and gets micro teeth on the top. The lower griprest now has a spike with a hole for tethers (not anchors –sling the handle or head for anchoring).
Weight: 585 g
Price: $300
Ergonomic (new)
The Ergonomic is a brand new tool that has the shaft of the Nomic and then incorporates a fairly radical handle to create a tool that excels in hooking and slotting/torquing on any terrain, while also swinging easily into ice (if you’re experienced). The handle, designed to be be ideal for hanging on for long periods, is flat on the sides and front, and isn’t hollowed out like the Nomic so it maximizes contact with the hand and therefore reduces over-gripping. The lower pommel does not have a spike (ideal for inverted moves) but both the Ergonomic and Nomic lower pommels can be interchanged. The Ergonomic is delivered with the mini-hammer and beefy Dry pick to handle torquing.
Weight: 635 g
Price: $360
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Petzl-Ice-Tool-Email-List”]
Modular Accessories
The new wedge-shaped pick weights will fit on any tool as will the micro hammer. The Nomic and Ergonomic will fit any of the picks and the Quark will fit all picks except for the Pur’Dry.
Pricing:
Pur’Ice Pick (updated) – $60
Pur’Dry Pick (new)– $60
Griprest Nomic (with spike, new)- $40
Griprest Ergonomic (flat rest, new) – $40
Masselottes (pick weights, new) – $40
Mini Marteau (mini hammer, updated) – $40
This video has more Petzl tool details:
Share
Alison Dennis
Alison (she/her) runs WeighMyRack from her 17' travel trailer. She is currently touring the US and would love if you contacted her to meet up to talk about climbing, climbing gear, or if you have any fun and/or ridiculous adventure in mind.