There are dozens of outstanding ice tools on the market - but hardly any like the Cortex. DMM set out to find out what the best ice tools in the world have in common. They’ve incorporated the findings into the development of the Cortex. The result is one of the most versatile and lightest devices ever designed.
One-piece design with I-Beam construction
CNC-milled from a single block of aluminium, the result is a very light and excellently balanced ice tool with an optimum strength-to-weight ratio.
In keeping with DMM's world-class I-Beam carabiners, unnecessary metal has been removed from the Cortex to create the distinctive I-Beam profile with exoskeleton, not only reducing weight but also carefully distributing it throughout the shaft. The result is a perfectly balanced swing.
Ergonomically shaped handles
The handle has a textured polymer coating that improves insulation and grip. The extension of this cover also allows the Cortex to be gripped higher up the shaft, e.g. when entering or leaving a route in flat terrain, peat or grassy mud. The handle also has a clip-in hole for Shadow, Phantom and Phantom HMS screw carabiners.
If you don't like extra metal on the handle, or if the clip-in for the suspension line is too high up on the handle, there is an additional attachment point for 4-5 mm lanyards in the lowest part of the handle (to which, for example, the DMM Freedom Leash (optional) can be attached). This part of the handle is also perfectly rounded, giving the entire Cortex swing a truly graceful elegance.
Modular interchangeable system
The Cortex is certified as a type 2 (T) technical ice tool and has a modular cutting system. This means it can be adapted to the route and personal requirements with maximum flexibility:
- The Cortex comes with a micro hammer and Ice Tech ice axe, the most versatile compromise for ice climbing and mixed tours. At the same time, the Ice-Tech pick has an extended spike in the centre, the Califlower Spike, for piercing larger ice formations.
- Additional weights can also be attached to the hoe. This allows the Cortex to hit the ice with even more impact. Perfect for stable ice conditions. Or, as a bit of a cheat, when you are mixed climbing, the weights act as mini wedges to give you extra support in cracks and crevices.
- If you are an ice climber, you will appreciate the optional ice pick, which opens at a slightly higher angle. This allows for a more ergonomic overhead swing, so less effort is required to drive the pick into the ice.
- The Dry-Pick (also available as an option), on the other hand, is a pure dry tool with a continuous 3.9 mm pick (as opposed to the first two which taper to 3 mm). The angle of the pick is also flatter, which makes it harder to hammer into ice, but offers more contact surface for hooking into rock.
All this makes the DMM Cortex an absolute premium ice tool for top level climbing suitable for nothing less than the most extreme mixed, ice and dry tool routes. Tested and found to be outstanding, from ice and mixed climbing in the Scottish Highlands to dry tooling in the Peak District.
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