FIRST LOOK: CASSIN X-ALL MOUNTAIN

With handle- and pick- angles that are so similar to those of more mixed-oriented tools, the X-All doesn’t drytool as well as I expected. On lower-angled rock the tool has a tendency to wobble side-to-side, while on overhanging sections, the tool seems to pivot outwards on the tip of the pick. Similarly, matching on the upper grip doesn’t perceptibly shift the pick, but it does feel less secure than the normal, lower grip. When testing several different tools at a local mixed crag, at around WI4- and M7-, surprisingly the X-All felt least secure on both ice and rock, even when compared to less-aggressively curved tools such as the BD Cobra.