DMM Cortex Ice Tools Review
Reviewed by Piers Harley (February 2025)
Now I’m the first to admit that winter climbing, particularly UK/Scottish winter climbing isn’t sexy. From my experience, most days out involve me being, at some point, tired, cold, hot, scared and hungry. It’s mainly guys who are stupid enough to want to do it and it’s expensive and gear intensive.
On the subject of gear, this is a rabbit hole that’s so easy to fall into. I’ve made purchases that promised so much but when it mattered, they came up short. However, every now and then something comes along that promises much and delivers more… much more…
DMM (hailing from North Wales) have been at the forefront of climbing gear design and development for the last 44+ years; Primarily known for their first-class climbing hardware including carabiners and rock protection, DMM have also offered a range of ice axes that always had a solid reputation.
Traditional methods of ice climbing tools design have the head riveted to an alloy shaft with a similar configuration at the handle. This design has inherent weaknesses at these joints (google Petzl Nomic head wobble)…
So… let me introduce the DMM Cortex Ice Tools. CNC machined from a single billet of alloy- my first impressions were… wow! They looked like nothing else out there.
The CNC machining process removed unnecessary metal creating this striking exoskeleton I-Beam profile, distributing the weight for a perfectly balanced swing. They weigh in at 589g, which is 4g heavier than the Petzl Nomic (provided bits haven’t fallen off!) in which case the Nomic would be lighter still! The tools are supplied with pick weights for those who want more ‘heft’ to the swing. There’s a choice of 3 picks- Ice, Ice Tech and Dry, with subtle differences in their angle and design.
Their intended purpose is pretty self-explanatory with most users opting for the Ice Tech configuration. These pick options are also fully compatible with DMM’s Vertex and Apex tools. Also available are Micro Hammer, Compact Hammer and Compact Adze. Personally, I think the Compact Adze/Hammer are of limited use owing to the curve of the shaft making their efficient use awkward. The rubber moulded handle included a hole that can be clipped into and it’s also possible to thread a short section of 5mm cord behind a recessed pin to form a loop to clip leashes to.
The rubberised handle is grippy and also big enough to accommodate my hands whilst wearing big gloves, the moulded texture continues up the shaft. However, the ‘I-Beam’ cross section design doesn’t provide a huge amount of surface area for those (like me) who like to add additional grip tape further up the shaft. Time will tell as to whether this is an issue, I suspect not.
I’ve now had the pleasure of using them on three Scottish trips. In use I’ve found these tools balanced and very solid, with little/or no vibration. The swing is balanced and they offer just the right amount of curve for overcoming ice bulges, etc…
PROS
Balance
Bomber construction
DMM build quality
Pick interchangeability with other DMM tools
Looks sexy
CONS
Cost
Shaft grip tape doesn’t adhere well
I said at the start of this review that winter climbing isn’t sexy… well thanks to DMM’s Cortex tools maybe it is now… just a little??