I love these tools! I used Quarks on hundreds of routes over the years...vertical ice, alpine ice and mixed routes (new route on Denali Light Traveler and first free ascent of the Moonflower Buttress done with Quarks), snowboard descents and mixed (before the Ergo and Nomics). When mixed climbing I add a "ball" to match onto, just above the rubber grip. I do this by taking duct tape, give er' a couple full raps then unroll 2' of tape and while it is still on the roll, twist the sh#t out of it so it is tightly twisted and stuck to itself, then keep wrapping around and repeat as necessary to get the size "ball or match grip rest" you desire then finish it off with a stickier tape and throw some strips of skateboard deck grip tape on there for ultimate holding power! That, along with the stock grip-rest will have you matching your way to the top, whether mixed terrain, steep ice or traversing on easier ground...

The Quark swings better than any ice tool out there. Try to demo all the tools you can and you will see for yourself. The picks penetrate well without shattering the ice. I go with two hammers so as to not risk opening up my face (not that a hammer back into my face if the tool pops, won't open me up, just less so than an adze!) I can use the pick (maybe not quite as efficiently, but worth it for safety) to cut through crap ice or dig a ledge out of the ice. I recommend going leashless, even with the Quarks. Free yourself up. It is the now. You may get more pumped, but that is because you are most likely over-gripping. Relax that grip to just before you slip off and that is how much you need to hold on, not any more! Also, going leashless lets you have less of a cluster fuck by not needing to unclip your clipper leash or pull your hand out of a traditional leash, or worse still, having your tool dangle from your wrist as you are throwing in a screw, clip a draw and get that rope in (all while your heart rate is going through the roof as your leg is doing a sweet Elvis impersonation - yes your leg and not you because you don't control it at this exact moment - maybe you will regain control as soon as you clip in to a good screw)! These tools plunge well, both with and without the grip-rest. The spike is the bomb and bites very well. There are two types of picks to choose from and they are both great!

Bottom line: the best all around (steep ice/mixed/alpine ice etc.) ice ax on the market! If you are going to get one tool that does it all, the Quark is the one.

Outstanding tool! I like it FAR better than the Black Diamond Viper and Cobra. It swings better but more importantly, I find it infinitely easier to pull the tool out of the ice. On BD tools...their picks are too sticky requiring way too much effort to remove.

This tool is amazing. It was made for the ice and is the easiest tool to place by far. I have climbed with the BD Reactors, BD Fusion, and I own an older pair of BD Rage. If you are looking for one tool this is what you want. If you plan to do a lot of mixed climbing I wouldn't suggest these.

I have had a pair of these beautiful tools. My pair were made by the previous company, Charlet Moser. I love the balanced feel when using these instruments. They are not as light as some of the newer style tools, but I believe it is possible to make something too light!
Simon,
Joshua Tree, CA.

I have old Pulsars. I just spent a weekend climbing with friend's Quarks and wow, what a difference!! Leashless, the pinky rest works great, the picks go in on the first swing and are easy to remove. Vertical ice all of a sudden felt lot less intimidating. I am shopping for a pair now...

I have had a pair of quarks for three years and they have been great on everything from vertical water ice to more mellow alpine ice. With the triggers they are a solid leashless tool and the ease of installation of the clipper allows them to work pretty well leashed. My only beef with the leash is that if you have it adjusted to give support when climbing you can't reach the head to transition to piolet cane.

Wow. I have not updated my old tools yet. A friend of mine let me have a go today with these. It’s a huge difference. They worked well over bulges or vertical. He claims everybody is using them in the Canadian Rockies. I would not know about that, but I was impressed today. I’m shopping for them now.

Okay, these are the first ice climbing axes I have owned and I just started to ice climb this past winter. (I own a BD Raven Pro for steep snow and mountaineering) I read the reviews and asked questions. I've only used the Quark's twice and they feel very comfortable. I like leashes on my ice axes so the leashes on these are plus for me. The Quark's seem to penetrate great without too much ice breakout. I hope to get to use them more next season.

This tool is one of the best, very good swing with great penetrating power with very little ice disruption. The tool for vertical ice. Performs well on mixed terrain, and with the grip-rest off is good for difficult alpine