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[Myxomatosis]

I'm looking to start climbing this winter, and need suggestions on ice tools, specifically for New England. Also, any suggestion on crampons while we're at it? Monopoint vs. dual?

[DWT]

Try a few different tools before you buy.  AMC has club gear you could probably mess around with.  I decided on the new quarks.

I prefer the Black Diamond Cyborg Pro crampons.  They can be configured in dual or mono.  They are stainless steel and super lightweight.

Good Luck

Derek

[ELM]

Like Derek said rent around. I too like the BD cyborg...although the Petzl Lynx is looking good  . I will stay with crampons that have replaceable front points for climbing. Petzl has models that you replace the whole forefoot for about the cost of a new set  . SO price out the parts that will wear and buy within your budget. The Cyborgs are easy to switch around to mono etc. and they have served me well and climb better than my ability. I do have to say though they really do kill me feet if I am standing in them for over 6 hours....could just be me though.
   I like the older Quarks but I have yet to get a new set on the ice. All of BD's tools seem to not stick as well as I want...many love them so again : rent around (or borrow a buddy's) and see what you like.

[jbrd528]

I have a pair of the original BD Cobras that are in great shape that I am looking to sell since I have not swung them in 3 or 4 years. I also have a pair of Quarks as well if you are interested. I can send pictures.  Both are a great first tool...

[Myxomatosis]

Thanks everyone. JBRD, do the replacement picks they sell still fit the old cobras? You could PM me some pictures if you're so inclined :-)

[DMan]

Quarks + Cyborgs = Happy IMO

And stay away from monos... you won’t need those till you start leading M5+

[Admin Al]

I lead all the hard ice climbs on dual point crampons. I find them more stable than mono points. the only time I use mono points is on hard mixed stuff. I uses monos for years, but went back to dual when I was talking with Kevin Mahoney about it and he said he did almost everything in dual because he felt as if he was standing on the ground!

[old_school]

I lead all the hard ice climbs on dual point crampons.

Are you climbing in cyborgs these days Al? Sold my dartwins last season and will be looking for another pair of dual points. Love my Grivel monos for steep ice and mixed. 

[Jack_Dorsey]

I notice a lot of recommendations for Quarks. Prior to last year I climbed for about 6 years on the older style Quarks that I really liked. Last year I downgraded to the new Quarks that I used quite often for about 3 months. During that time I never felt the tools were heavy enough for good single swing sticks in hard ice. Also I felt the new pick was much harder to remove after a good stick as compared to the old Quark.

I'd have probably kept them and purchased the optional head weights to see if that would improve my performance with them but I also had a problem with the durability. I broke three trigrests and the pommel spike seemed be wearing much quicker than I'd expect it should if made with decent steel.  So I returned them to EMS for a pair of new BD Vipers.

I'm happy with the Vipers and feel they perform more like my old Quarks than the new Quarks did. This summer I was talking to a guy with similar feelings about his new quarks  who told me that a Petzl rep told a him that the new pick design was lacking.   He seemed to think Petzl either has or is changing the pick design. 
 
Do any of you know if Petzl has made improvements on the Quark from the model available in late November last year? Have any of you tried the new Quark with the optional head weight that is standard on the Nomic?

Jack

[DWT]

I had forgotten the Trigrest.  I broke them both within weeks of purchasing the tools.  The trigrests weren't such a great idea.  They had a tendency to provide the fulcrum for a lever.

I have a friend who took the weights from his Nomics to the Quarks.  The Quarks seemed a bit heavy-handed with the weights.

What do I know?  I can't stop the teeth of my screws from folding into the shaft.

[ELM]

.............happy I am buying a new set of picks for my old Quarks.

[Admin Al]

I lead all the hard ice climbs on dual point crampons.

Are you climbing in cyborgs these days Al? Sold my dartwins last season and will be looking for another pair of dual points. Love my Grivel monos for steep ice and mixed. 

I use m10's Grammy. Heavy but solid.

[Admin Al]

FYI I am still using my Petzl Ergo tools. Totally love them. I get no wrist or elbow pain.

[meclimber]

new cobras and rambo 4's.  I have to say now that i have 2-3 years with the rambos, they blow my g-14's away.  Set up as mono's but still feel really stable.  Not that i plan on using them this winter...

[M_Sprague]

new cobras and rambo 4's.  I have to say now that i have 2-3 years with the rambos, they blow my g-14's away.  Set up as mono's but still feel really stable.  Not that i plan on using them this winter...

Might as well sell those babies before they become antiques.