(1) The quark is very stable when using the upper grip on insecure holds. In my opinion, the main reasons to opt for a quark over other similar ice tools is: I can well understand if you are trying hard routes, perhaps harder than VI (?), the compromise is worth it, but for people where the roped climbing is not only part of the day where you need an axe to keep you says - technical but still all-rounder tools with usable spikes for the approach and descents, like Vipers and Quarks, seem the optimal choice for many UK winter climbers where "mountaineering", with exposed slopes and climbing snow, is still what we do.
On saturday the corrie was full of hard snow after Friday's thaw - and cramponing up to the buttresses, trying to keep an eye on my mates who haven't worn crampons for a good few years, I was reminded how bad the Switches are for that sort of thing! The alloy bases were just skidding on the snow and holding the handle and pushing the head against the snow wasn't really any better. Whilst the Switches are great on steeper technical mixed climbing, that's actually quite a small part of my mountain winter days. I have used the Switches for a number of routes in the UK over the last 5 years since I came back from Finland, but I've used the Vipers for more and can't find any disadvantages with the Vipers up to grade V,6 which is what I can climb (on a good day!). Tony had his 90s vintage piranhas, but Simon needed to borrow some tools so I lent him my Vipers and I took my DMM Switches. On Saturday I was taking some friends climbing in Coire an-t Sneachda. Get the mixed picks for mixed climbing (or better still the tougher Kuzniaszpeju ones) and keep the ice ones for water ice. Though the new Nomic does have some issues of its own. It’s just a no brainer to go for the more technical tool if you will be doing more technical climbing. In the same way that it’s possible to rock climb fairly hard in floppy shoes but no one does because again why make life hard for yourself?Ī quick google shows that there’s hardly any difference in price (less than £50) between a pair deal for Quarks and Nomics from established UK retailers. The handle isn’t that ergonomic, the trigrest is rubbish, the overall shape isn’t as good - these things become more important at higher grades. If someone is mostly climbing V and above, I wouldn’t recommend these. I’d say the perfect grade range for these is mostly up to IV with some V.
I’m sure you can climb V, VI, VII and more with these but why make life hard for yourself? A pair or Nomics or other more technical tools would be much better. I can see the advantage for the Alps and easier winter climbing but I just don’t buy the argument that these will see you through to harder grades. I suppose the orange thing can be cut off and the main trigrest glued into place.
As you say, that trigrest thing is annoying as the orange mini trigger is way too small for gloved fingers.