NORTH MACHINE / NORTH MACHINE CARBON

Published on 12/05/2020

TOMAS ROY AGUILO (Argentina)

I use it for vertical ice climbing, waterfalls and Alpine Climbing.

The weight-hit ratio is very good, lightweight and very comfortable for the hands, it feels very safe! It is also comfortable for approaches, walking on steep glaciers.

My best climb with it was at Cerro Torre, Ragni Route, West Face.

 

 

ANGELIKA RAINER (Italy)

I always use it for classic icefalls.

I like the comfortable grip on which the palm of the hand rests and its excellent swing on ice.

I had it with me in various home icefalls in the Dolomites and in the Orobian Alps.

 

 

STEPHANE BENOIST (France)

I use it for technical mountaineering from D up in snow, ice and mixte.

I like its lightness - reliability - ease of use - ability to penetrate the ice.

My favorite ascension with this ice axe? Breithorn - Roccia Nera - Grassi-Bernardi route, TD + 500m.

 

 

DAVIDE CAPOZZI (Italy)

I use them both on ascents and snowboard descents of itineraries with technical sections.

My favourite features are lightness, precision, it gives me a unique sense of safety. A perfect tool for my business that I like to use together with my Ghost Evo.

I used it this year in the north of Aiguille Qui Remue, using it together with the Ghost Evo.

A nice combination of efficiency and lightness.

 

 

FRANCOIS CAZZANELLI (Italy)

I use it for mixte technical routes all over the world and at all altitudes.

I love its robustness and its precision.

My best climbs with the North Machine:

- “Colpo Finale” new route on the west face of Mount Edgar 6618 m. China, Minia Konka massif.

- "Cassin" Route on the south face of Denali 6190 m, Alaska.

 

 

MANU CORDOVA (Spain)

When I don't use the Tech Machine I use the North Machine, usually when it comes to routes where I'm not going to climb mixed lengths and I'm just going to ice climb.

The blades for me are one of the best attributes of the ice axe in addition to, in this case, the good balance between lightness and strength.

Cascades like "The French Maid" in British Columbia are my favourites climbs with them.

 

 

GIAMPAOLO CORONA (Italy)

I use these tools for technical climbing on ice and mixte, both in the Alps and in the Himalaya and Karakorum.

They are extremely light and balanced as well as being precise and comfortable in the handle. It seems to have an extension of your arm. Simply a jewel.

Among the various climbs the most important one was the attempt of the first ascent of the Kimshung (6800 m) in Nepal, an extremely technical ascent at altitude.

 

 

DAVID DIETRICH (Austria)

I use two for climbing North Faces during the winter time in the Alps.

It is very well balanced, super lightweight and it’s easily attachable to the double spring system and the carryabiner tool.

My best climb with it? Pitztaler Eisexpress in Austria – it’s a long tour combining four north face climbs up fourth different mountains in a row.

 

DENIS TRENTO (Italy)

I use it for ice, mixte, technical mountaineering.

My favorite features are lightness, precision, swing.

The North Machine (ex Quantum Tech) is linked to the memory of a climb where I believed beyond measure in my abilities: the Cecchinel-Nominé route at the Pilier d'Angle in one shot, from Turin hut to Gouter hut. On that late ascent in June of almost 10 years ago, my partner Ciaz and I dared, perhaps even going beyond our real skills of the time, we really gave everything and we succeeded. Each extra gram would have driven us back, starting from the weight of the most important tool for that climb: the ice axes.

 

 

EMRIK FAVRE (Italy)

I use it when the situation gets tough: for the big north faces, for the goulottes and the technically difficult mountains.

My favorite features are the lightness, the comfortable handle that does not tire your arms and the safety they give me at every step in difficult terrain.

My best climb with the "North Carbon"? I did it two years ago during the attempt to open the north-west edge of the Edgar in Sichuan, where the terrain was very complex both in terms of conditions and technically. They were the ideal companions for that climb!

 

 

SIMON GIETL (Italy)

I use it in classic north face terrain whether in the Alps or on an expedition as well as ice climbing!

The weight-performance ratio is really very good!

Using it in cracks is also not a problem, which is also very important for me!

It is definitely an all-rounder and I can recommend it to everyone!

My best climb with them was for sure the first ascent "Shiva’s Ice" WI5 M6 1500 meters at Shivling 6543m (India).

 

 

YANNICK GRAZIANI (France)

I use this ice axe on technical climbs on ice falls and in goulottes. But not only, sometimes in big alpine routes I use it to go up the couloirs or to pass through bergschrunds.

I really like its curved handle and its lightness.

It was with its ancestor (Quantum Tech, a very similar ice axe) that I made the south face of the Annapurna.

 

 

JASON DORAIS (USA)

If there's a day I expect to climb technical ice I bring the North Machine. 

Swinging this axe is a pure joy.  The blade/shaft combination makes each swing easy and intuitive.  

My best day with it? Liberty Ridge, Mt. Rainier.

 

 

SILVIA LOREGGIAN (Italy)

I use the North Machine Carbon for almost all high mountain climbs on mixte terrain. On snowy ridges a classic axe is more suitable, but on the north faces or on the peaks / crossings with mixte terrain, in fact, it is a good axe that meets different needs.

I prefer first of all its ease of swinging and penetration in the ice, even if it is not a properly technical axe. It has a good weight balance on the blade which facilitates its use. Secondly, the slight ergonomics of the handle also allow for a good game on dry and at the same time, on the contrary, it is also possible to partially use it vertically on the snow. The rubberized coating of the handle also allows a secure grip.

I used it with pleasure for the crossing of the Grandes Jorasses through the Rochefort ridge.

 

 

BORIS LORENCIC (Slovenia)

This is an extraordinary ice axe. I use it for winter alpinism. With it you can climb every ice fall and every north face, even the most difficult ones.

It is very well balanced so that it finds its way into the ice itself. Being lightweight, it is suitable for endless ice slopes with countless swings. Forged blade is highly trust worth in mixed terrain. A real "DO IT ALL" toy!

My best memory with it? Moonflower Buttress on Mount Hunter, Alaska

 

 

LUCA SCHIERA (Italy)

I use it for mixte, snow, big mountains and whenever I need a multipurpose and light ice axe.

I love its lightness, the comfortable handle and the good beat of the hammer

I have used it successfully for the first ascent of the Cerro Mangiafuoco in the Campo de Hielo Norte in Patagonia.

  

 

STEVE HOUSE (USA)

I use it for alpinism and ice climbing. I also give this tool to my students when I teach ice climbing because it has a very easy, natural swing.

Its best features are the blades, of course. They are made from the best steel and stay sharp a very long time. The overall light weight and a perfect swing make them a real pleasure to climb ice with.

I used it on the 1938 Route on the Eiger, guiding. Also on countless waterfalls and mixed routes in my local backyard in Colorado. I use one with the hammer, and one with only the pic, no hammer or adze so I can get the tool back into cracks easily.

 

 

VITTORIO MESSINI (Austria)

I use it on easy ice climbs and on north faces, with or without clients.

It is light, not too curved so that it can also be used on less steep terrain. And, of course, it also features the forged blades which are the best in the world!

My best ascent with the North Machine was definitely the north face of the Eiger.

 

 

GENIS ZAPATER (Spain)

I use it in all situations. As its name indicates, it is the # 1 ice axe on the market for mountaineering on the north face but it is the most versatile on the market. You can climb from hard icefalls to easy drytooling. Perfect ice axe for distant mountaineering trips.

Lightness, versatility, unbreakable life. The blade is a work of art like all Grivel blades.

I did many climbs with them! Walker Spur of the Grandes Jorasses, Polar Circus in Alberta, Nuit Blanche ...

 

 

SILVESTRO FRANCHINI (Italy)

I use it for ice climbing up to 4 + / 5 and for technical mountaineering.

My favourite features are lightness combined with good grip and swing.

My best climb with the North Machines was “Scotch on the rocks” on Mont Blanc du Tacul.

 

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