Carbon fibre ice axes are objects of desire; they just look so flipping cool. Whilst not as resilient to being jammed in cracks as their more traditional (and cheaper) aluminium counterparts, they have a number of advantages: namely, they're lighter and much warmer. Designed for steep ice, mixed, and technical mountaineering, Grivel's carbon fibre Dark Machines are real ninjas of the axe world. 

In use

I first used the Dark Machines on a winter ascent of Mont Blanc du Tacul's Super Couloir. Normally I'd have taken a traditional axe (like a Petzl Quark) on that sort of endeavour, but figuring that buried ice axes were unlikely, and I could still probably smash a peg, if required, I threw cation to the winds to try my new super-flash acquisition, with its drop handle and techy geometry. Besides, I had Tim Miller on my rack if either me or the axes weren't up to muster.

To boost their all-round mountain ability I also borrowed an adze and hammer from my friend's North Machines, a more conventional Grivel ice tool. These were slightly fiddly to fit, but very solid once on. Whilst they added a bit of weight, this wasn't unwelcome, and with a bit of extra mass on the head the swing was reassuring. 

The axes climbed brilliantly, the aggressive curve allowing me to reach over bulges and into bosses of neve on the mixed crux pitches. I was really intimidated by these pitches, having seen pictures of Ueli Steck climbing them in dry conditions, but in the conditions we had them, plastered in sticky snow ice, they were pretty standard Scottish V. The Dark Machines were also perfect for the eight or so pitches of Scottish IV and V above, going into the perfect neve with a reassuring thunk. 

Since the Super Couloir I've had them out on a selection of ice falls in the Chamonix and Aosta areas, and the Mark Twight classic, Beyond Good and Evil.

Weight

At just 490g per axe, these are some of the lightest technical axes on the market. The real benefits of carbon tools are twofold. First is how warm your hands stay whilst using them. Second, and by no means less important, is that because of their low weight your arms aren't quite as tired after waving them around above your head all day. I've got noddle arms and need all the help I can get.

Picks and fittings

The Dark Machines are designed with a modular head, allowing you to choose between Grivel's range of different picks and accessories, all of which also fit their other technical axes. Mine came with Grivel's Ice Vario picks, which are the standard choice for all-round use. These drop forged carbon steel picks are tough, and scarily sharp when new. They penetrate ice with ease and come out without a fight. I've not done any proper mixed climbing with them yet, but as they're T-rated I'm sure they'd work fine. They also seem to stay sharp, and are easy to file back into shape. More specialised ice and mixed picks are available too, in fact Grivel's selection of designs and materials is really quite impressive. The pics can be used 'naked', or coupled with a hammer and/or adze. 

Shaft and handle

One of the unusual things about the Dark Machines is that the handle is Carbon Fibre, not coated with rubber. This means it feels more slippery than other axes I've used but not so much that I've noticed whilst climbing. As the handle is quite narrow you could always add a layer of self amalgamating tape to improve grip. 

A more noticeable issue with a carbon handle is that it is less resilient than a metal/rubber-coated one, and won't take too kindly to being whacked on your crampons when unballing. I guess if you're going to do a lot of mountaineering with the Dark Machines you'll either have to accept you'll damage your handle, or remember to turn them upside down and whack them with the head instead.

Unusually for a jug handled tool the Dark Machines have a spike on the end of the shaft. I like this as it increases security when mountaineering to the base of routes.

The spike can be clipped with spring leashes. I like to use real karabiners on my leashes and the hole on the Dark Machine is pretty tight for this. I had to swap the Ocun Kestrals I normally use for Edelrid 19g. Pro tip: rather than larks-footing your lanyards onto your harness, attach them with a third small krab (use a rubber band or Petzl String to keep it oriented properly) as it means you clip your axes out of the way at belays, avoiding tangles. 

Summary

This is a brilliant tool, which climbs ice as well as any axe I've used. The carbon shaft is light, stiff and warm. However it's unashamedly specialist. I'd be reluctant to use an expensive carbon fibre axe for mixed climbing in Scotland, as a standard aluminium tool would do the job as well, and better withstand the rough usage. And at £343.95 per axe, they're not exactly a budget option. For your average UK winter climber the benefits may not justify the price tag, but if you really need their combination of performance and lightness, then the Dark Machine may well be an investment worth making.