Page 35 - 20145 AMA Spring

The AMA would like to thank DMM for all the continued support and for providing the axes for review.
More information on these axes can be found at:
www.dmmclimbing.com
kit on trial
DMM Fly
Length: 50cm
Weight : See article RRP: Circa £140 each (before AMA discount)
Features
• Hot forged ergonomic handle
• T Rated Integrity Construction
• Bottom hand rest for optimum support
• Optional add-on upper rest enables matching and leashless climbing
• Can be fitted with the Raptor pick sets for less technical terrain
• Versatile - The axe has been designed to cope with ice and mixed terrain climbing.
• Strong 7075 aluminium - It is made of high quality 7075 aluminium which provides a good balance of strength v weight.
• Adaptable comfy grip handle - Injection moulded handle is grippy in wet or dry conditions and provides good insulation.
• Leash included: No
• Every axe has a unique serial number for ultimate traceability
The detail
The iconic DMM Fly has been the hallmark
of DMM for some time and has been in use
for over two decades. The axe has been
tried and tested all over the world and is a
jack of all trades. It was originally designed
for Scottish winter mountaineering as an
all-round climbing axe but was updated for
2012. The recent updates to the axe have
taken modern climbing into consideration with an improved handle, pick set and hand rest.
The changes to the Fly add features that are ideal for coping with steeper more technical terrain encountered on modern routes. The redesigned tip allows more positive penetration. Shaft is slightly
curved for better clearance and more natural plunging when used in the reverse position.
At 720 grams, the Flys aren’t lightweights, but have a solid, well- balanced feel – the weight in the head gives them a burly, simple swing into ice or turf but as the weight is balanced between pick and adze/hammer they don’t feel excessively head heavy and unwieldy when clearing snow or hooking on steep ground.
The beefy T-rated pick and big chunky adze and hammer are only slightly changed from the original design. The business end of the pick works well – penetrating well for a reasonably chunky design, cleaning easily, and hooking well.
For those that find the hammers and adzes offered on most modern tools a bit weedy, the Fly keeps it’s very effective big simple hammer, and big shovel-shaped adze – perfect for torqueing in fist cracks, clearing snow and ice, digging bucket seats and T-axe slots, or hacking through cornices. While the Fly’s have much less pick clearance than the Apex, the gentle curve still makes a noticeable difference compared to a straight shaft, and unlike higher clearance axes, the shaft doesn’t in any way restrict the easy use of the adze and hammer.
Summary
The DMM Fly is the ultimate all-rounder axe. If you are looking for an axe that will do everything, then the fly is perfect for the majority of climbers. One very minor criticism is that the pick and hand rest require different sized allen keys.
are available giving the ability to tweak the balance and swing.
The T rated standard ice picks work well straight off the shelf – the bevelled tip penetrates well and hooks edges securely, the low profile initial teeth make extraction easy, and the long front tooth will allow for a fair amount of sharpening. Towards the shaft, bigger teeth give good bite hooking flakes and chockstones. A serrated top edge gives stein-pull and crack torqueing bite, though will damage glove palms if used lots in walking mode. As with all very curved axes, the adze and hammer are to some extent blocked by the shaft and best used by holding the shaft about halfway up. The ice picks feature a small adze, serviceable for chipping small footholds, and the hammer is a simple low-profile design that serves its purpose if needed.
The picks are laser cut so they fit extremely well and can be replaced very easily, even on the mountain. The Apex comes with the one piece, T-Rate Ice Compact Adze and Ice Compact Hammer, which comes out of the factory sharpened and ready to use. There is also a T-rated Mix Compact Adze and Mix Compact Hammer available
(sold separately), with a steeper angle on the pick for maximum holding power on tiny rock edges and slots, great when pushing it out on rock. DMM have even made a third pick unit with a full size Adze, called the Mountain Adze. If you have a new fangled minimal winter sack just make sure you can stash the Apex on the existing axe holders – or buy some shock cord and improvise.
Summary: The hefty discount that DMM offer the AMA makes this axe a serious option for anyone that requires a true all-rounder which will be ideal for making best use of the limited time and fickle conditions that many of us have to negotiate to get a winter fix. Mountaineering, ice fall climbing, Scottish mixed and Alpine big faces the Apex has it covered.
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