Smart design for expert-level ice climbing

When testing this tool side by side with other high-end ice models at the 2014 Bozeman Ice Festival, one tester noticed the brilliant design immediately when the Tech Machine stuck faster and removed easier than any other tool. “I could always rely on this for a sturdy placement, and I never had to struggle to remove it, even with wonderfully deep sticks,” she said. That’s thanks to a thoughtful structure that combines a flatter (read: less curved) pick head with a curved shaft and the real kicker: a handle that’s angled farther backward, meaning the wrist is naturally cocked back when holding the tool. What this does is put more leverage into every swing and into every time you lift the tool up to remove it. The less aggressive pick shape also helped to make extracting the ice tool faster and easier. “Putting the increased angle in the handle itself and not the shaft or pick is brilliant, as you get more leverage and swinging action with every move in or out of the ice.” Chromolly steel throughout the tool means it’s strong and durable, and a pointer finger rest provided a lot more precision for finding existing pick holes on delicate ice. The slight curve in the handle also made it more ergonomic and comfortable to hold.