http://www.petzl.com/en/outdoor/ice-climbing-tools

Sweet! Anyone tried them out? Reviews? Thoughts? I'm upgrading from Aztars this year. Do mostly Alpine Ice/Mountaineering, but also like to climb water ice in the winter. Thinking about either the new Quarks or Nomics.

I'm very happy with my quarks. The nomics look pretty sweet, but I use the quarks for some alpine and I don't dry tool much, so I think the Quarks suit my needs best. Depends on what you are using them for.
BTW I switched from Aztars to Quarks and was happy I did.

If you aspire to climb anything steeper than WI3, Nomics are the bomb.

The only thing holding me back from getting the nomics is a lack of a spike on the bottom--I'm guessing that the big jug grip makes it shitty for plunging. I do steep snow couloirs sometimes and can only afford to buy one set of tools.

Nomics are an overkill for anything lower than steep pure waterfall ice. So yeah, quarks would be a better more versatile tool for you. Plus you can go leashless with them too. I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

connollyck wrote:The only thing holding me back from getting the nomics is a lack of a spike on the bottom--I'm guessing that the big jug grip makes it shitty for plunging. I do steep snow couloirs sometimes and can only afford to buy one set of tools.

If you'd bother to look closely to the picture of the Nomic you would notice that these do indeed have a spike. They can also be fitted with adze/hammer. But yeah, probably still not the greatest for plunging..

hey! the new Quarks have a 'biner hole in the spike that you can actually clip! we've only been waiting, what, four years for that tiny piece of self-obvious ergonomic Darwinism - ?

sharperblue wrote:hey! the new Quarks have a 'biner hole in the spike that you can actually clip! we've only been waiting, what, four years for that tiny piece of self-obvious ergonomic Darwinism - ?

"That's funny right there! I don't care who you are."

Darwinism as in climbers evolving down to use chicken loops openly?

welle wrote: I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

why? easier to hang with the leashes.

kovarpa wrote:

welle wrote: I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

why? easier to hang with the leashes.

not on lead. plus Nomics are way more ergonomic for more overhanging terrain.

welle wrote:

kovarpa wrote:

welle wrote: I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

why? easier to hang with the leashes.

not on lead. plus Nomics are way more ergonomic for more overhanging terrain.

ok. i never realized that people hang from their tools differently when leading and differently when following.

kovarpa wrote:

welle wrote: I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

why? easier to hang with the leashes.

Leading WI4 on two leashed piolets is burly. Quarks are like cheating. I know about 30 people who lead ice this way, although the alpine leash is the new hip way to keep your tools from plunging while you put in a screw. That's been my system for the last couple of years. Quarks are awesome for WI4-5. But if I were going to spend a bunch of money on tools, I'd just give it up for the Cobras. It's a whole different level.

Just saw in Chamonix the new Quark....still way too heavy for alpine climbing compared to my Grivel Quantum light....the trigger though with quick adjustment option is intriguing...
No difference in the shaft curvature form the old model...just a bit lighter with new pick and the trigger....which you can mount on the older model....
All in all not worth it upgrading to the new one....
I also saw the new Nomic....basically the same as the older...with the execption of the new pick, which can be used on the older model and the spike at the bottom of the handle, wich does not seem that effective and it may be possible to mount on the older model...
With the new pick on the nomic older or new you get an hammer and very important you add weight to the head garantiing in my opinion a better penetration in hard ice....

b. wrote:

kovarpa wrote:

welle wrote: I know somebody who leads WI4+ and 5s on leashed quarks. That's burly!

why? easier to hang with the leashes.

Leading WI4 on two leashed piolets is burly. Quarks are like cheating. I know about 30 people who lead ice this way, although the alpine leash is the new hip way to keep your tools from plunging while you put in a screw. That's been my system for the last couple of years. Quarks are awesome for WI4-5. But if I were going to spend a bunch of money on tools, I'd just give it up for the Cobras. It's a whole different level.

random question...sorry.

Where do you think the Petzl Aztar's fit into the mix?