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Cortex – ice axe
Cortex – ice axe

Cortex

$733.49
5% off when buying two or more (applied at checkout).

Technical ice tool, featuring:
- One piece I-Beam design
- Fully 'Type 2' (T) Rated
- Excellent balance for ice climbing
- Ergonomic moulded handles
- Modular pick system and pick weights Read more

Currently shipping to all contiguous states except Rhode Island. See the Shipping page for more information.

Free delivery over $99

2-7 day delivery

Lifetime Guarantee

Christmas delivery dates
Orders placed before 1pm on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 should arrive in time for Christmas.

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ONE PIECE OF EXCEPTIONAL ENGINEERING

The Cortex is a premium tool well suited to the most out-there mixed, ice, and dry tooling routes.

The exoskeleton I-Beam profile is CNC'd from a single aluminium billet, achieving an optimal strength-to-weight ratio and delivering a perfectly balanced swing. This fully 'Type 2' (T) tool utilises a modular pick system. Choose from an Ice Pick, Ice Tech Pick, or a burly Dry tooling pick depending on the task ahead.

FEATURES

One piece design

CNC milled from a single aluminium billet creating a very strong, lightweight, and superbly balanced Ice tool.

I-Beam design

Mirroring the technology used on our premium I Beam carabiners we have removed unnecessary metal creating the striking exoskeleton I Beam profile, distributing the weight carefully. The result is a perfectly balanced swing.

Ergonomic moulded handles

Upper and lower handles have a textured polymer over moulding helping with insulation and grip. The handle has a clip-in hole for Shadow, Phantom or Phantom HMS screw gates, and an attachment point accommodates cord up to 5mm for clipping leashes.

Modular pick system

The Type 2 T rated picks are modular and customisable to your needs. The Cortex comes with the Ice Tech pick, Micro Hammer, and pick weights. DMM offers three interchangeable picks, two hammers and one adze that are compatible with the Cortex, Apex and Vertex.

PICK FEATURES

1: Head

  • Ice: Smooth head to improve in-hand comfort.
  • Ice Tech and Dry: Chicken head for additional bite and stability during stein pulls and
    when the axe is inverted on less steep ground.

2: Chamfer

  • Ice and Ice Tech: Full top edge chamfer to improve penetration and removal from ice.
  • Dry: Chamfered at tip to improve penetration and removal from ICE at tip, but not running full length to improve durability when use against rock.

3: Modular pick system

  • Ice, Ice Tech, and Dry: Washer free, trochoid tool interface for long lasting secure and precise hammer and adze connection.

4: Pick tapering

  • Ice and Ice Tech: Thickness tapers from 3.9mm at head to 3mm at tip.
  • Dry: No pick taper. 3.9mm thickness throughout for strength, stiffness and durability in aggressive use. The dry pick also has 1mm extra depth for added strength.

5: Tip

  • Ice: Optimised tip for penetration and durability.
  • Ice Tech: Pointier tip to compensate for steeper pick angle.
  • Dry: Hooked tip for stable placements on small edges.

6: Cauliflower spike

  • Ice Tech: Additional large spike for hooking large ice features.

Cortex

Interchangeable pick and hammer

Showing the Micro Hammer and Ice Tech Pick that come as standard. Alternatively you can fit a Compact Hammer or Adze, sold separately.

Cortex

Carabiner and cord clip in points

Round clip-in point to fit a DMM Shadow, Phantom or Phantom HMS carabiner. Innovative cord point that can be threaded with up to a 5mm cord, this can be used to attach a DMM Freedom Leash.

Cortex

Textured over moulding

Upper and lower handles have a textured polymer over-moulding helping with insulation and grip.

Tech Specs

Product Name Product Code Colour Length Weight Certification
Cortex A0494 Red 50cm 589 g EN13089:2011+A1:2015 Type 2
EN13089:2011+A1:2015 Type 2
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