Petzl  Quark Ice Tool - Hammer

Update from the late adopter: Last spring I bought a second Quark, with an adze, because I'd come to like my first one so much that I was convinced I'd climb more securely with two of them than with one and my old straight axe. This winter I've knocked off a route that I probably wouldn't have attempted without two of these tools. The ergonomic handles and the freedom from leashes do a lot for forearm stamina on steep ice. I shattered one of the moveable plastic Trigrests on that climb, by smashing it into a bulge. But it was set in a pretty vulnerable spot on the shaft, and it's easily replaced. I can't say enough about these tools. They're the best I've ever used.

This is a great all around tool. Great for mountaineering and steep ice. The curved shaft offers awesome clearance. The pommel and trigger finger are adjustable. Coupled with the leases and you're set for any adventure.

If I had to have set of tools for any & all conditions it would be the Petzl Quark. It performs equally as well on steep ice, mixed ground & angled glaciers. It also does fine in steep snow as well. Awesome grip & a great all around tool

I'm a late adopter in everything--usually content to carry on with what I'm used to. Two or three winters ago a friend urged me to try a curved and leashless tool. I bought one that looked sensible and felt good in my hand, took it outside, and hated it. I couldn't get good sticks, and went back to my two old straight tools. This winter I hefted a Quark in a shop and decided to take another chance. Not sorry! This is a marvelous tool. Though light, it gives solid sticks even without extra head weights. I still use a straight axe in my other hand, because mostly I climb solo on easy terrain, and I want a straight tool for snow-slope-y stuff. But I do some of this in exposed places and must get reliably good sticks with both tools from the get-go, or I head home. Among other things, the Quark makes pulling over bulges a lot more comfortable--partly because of the knuckle-saving curve that all the tools have now, but also because when you swing it over a bulge and set it, the spike tends to come down in just the right way to give you a wobble-proof two-point placement. Very comforting. Maybe all current tools do this, but the first one I tried was such an erratic sticker that I couldn't run away from it fast enough. Long live the Quark.

Great all around ice tool. If you could only have 1 set of ice tools these should be it.

This is a great tool for steep ice, dry tooling and more moderate conditions. It swings well and the pick grabs the ice nicely. The plastic finger holders can be taken off so that the tool can be stripped down even more when weight is an issue. If I had to have just one tool, this would be it!