Working in the outdoor industry allows for certain benefits. As a buyer for an internet retailer it is my responsibility to know about every piece of gear in the outdoor industry I am responsible for buying. This lets me get some great gear to play with and evaluate. I recently got a pair of Edelrid Rage ice climbing tools for this purpose. I wanted to try out a radically aggressive ice/mixed tool and Edelrid had a new weapon that I had seen at the most recent Outdoor Retailer show back in August. The tool felt great in hand and the weight seemed extremely balanced and had a terrific swing weight as well. The ergonomics are aggressive and the grip seemed to fit my hand perfectly. I have been able to get out and use this tool a few times over the last month and I am happy to say it is a pretty good mixed tool. Edelrid did a great job entering into the new "competition aggressive" ice tool category where the Petzl Ergo and the BD Fusion reside. It is aggressive, weighted well and feels comfortable whether hooking or swinging.
As far as Edelrid's first foray into technical ice tools goes, they did a pretty good job. There was good penetration on hard ice and chandelier as well. Hooking on rock was stellar and camming into cracks was perfect. The only real drawbacks to these tools are the relatively flimsy feel of the shaft, much like how the BD Reactor feels, and no adjustable grip like what the BD Fusion offers. I have found this to be pretty important in high end mixed tools because of the different gloves I use and the overall size of my hands. You can easily look past these small flaws and tweak the tool to your liking. Splicing tape lets me adjust grips fairly well and almost any tool flexes when cammed. I have been told the price on these is a big selling point. They will be coming in well under competitors like the Petzl Nomic and the Black Diamond Fusion. This should give Edelrid a competitive edge making headway into North America.
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| Edelrid Rage tools at Loch Vale RMNP |
These tools are extremely nice. They are well balanced, aggressive and feel good in your hand. For the money you probably won't find another pair like them. Not in the USA or anywhere else for that matter...yet!!!
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