A new carbon fiber ice axe IDOL
We are happy to introduce our latest development to you - IDOL - superlight carbon fiber ice axe for skitouring, freeride, simple climbs and any other activities where the equipment weight plays a key role.
To fully understand its concept let’s turn to its production history. We are situated in Kirov, a town in the northern Russia that hosts a stage of World Iceclimbing Cup. Russian sportsmen often ask us to manufacture unique equipment with best characteristics out there. We’ve gained invaluable experience in carbon handling and calculating working and maximum loads. But those are very technical tools, not for a wide range of customers. After that we decided to push ourselves to the limit: we aimed to create type B ice axe with weight less than 200 grams. So the idea was born.
It didn’t take long to manufacture the IDOL. Structurally it is made of carbon fiber monocoque with variable wall thickness: the shaft is the thickest in the places of maximum/peak load. Carbon-fiber shaft prevents vibration when striking and negates heat loss of the user’s hand. The pick is made of steel that is used in aerospace and other high-tech industries, spike - of light alluminium alloy, adze and tip - of titanium. The pick tapers from 7mm to 3mm, this geometry protects the carbon fiber shaft from excessive overload and damage. It weighs only 188 grams. IDOL is equally good for using in soft snow and hardest ice due to trim balance: the center of mass is situated near the steel alloy pick.
On 11.08.2014 Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) approved an application #2014126105/12(042405) for a utility model from 26.06.2014
We suppose that by October 2014 IDOL is the lightest ice axe in its class. We hope that we were able to bring something beautiful in the world of snow, ice and mountains.
And the story continues...