CAMP is a 123 year-old, family-owned  Italian brand that has maintained its heritage with the global headquarters  still nestled in the tiny mountain village of Premana situated in  the Pre-Alps of Northern Italy.  CAMP maintains a sharp focus on the gear with the goal of delivering  products that are genuinely new and incredible. Examples of this kind of  innovation is the X-Dream.

Aptly named, the X-Dream not only features two different picks to  change the axe for ice or mixed climbing, but it also incorporates a patented  adjustment system in the handle to fine tune the swing and torque even further. A  quick turn of the allen bolt above the grip allows the tools to be switched  between Dry and Ice positions by changing the angle of the handle in relation  to the angle of the pick. In the Dry position, the handle kicks upward for a  more down and out pull. The Ice position drops the handle for a more natural  swing. The picks function much the same way. The Dry pick features a more  aggressive downward curve at the tip while the Ice pick has a more traditional flatter beak for vertical  ice. Both picks feature same angle for optimal performance on all angles of mixed and ice climbing. They are designed to provide solid sticks with  minimal penetration making them the perfect choice for brittle ice and techy  mixed terrain. Climbers can further refine the X-Dream with the  micro-adjustable trigger finger ledge (choose from two inserts that can be  flipped over to adjust the position).

2013 Michigan Ice Fest featured athlete Fabrizio Zangrilli recommends taking the time to explore and discover all of the options with the X-Dream: “Being able to customize the tool to the situation for the day is key. In the Ice position the handle and tool swing brilliantly, with a natural full extension of the elbow and wrist, allowing for power and control. For very steep ice, I switch to the Dry position and still use the Ice pick for short and controlled sticks into cauli? owered and chandeliered ice. The slight rotation in the wrist angle gives phenomenal endurance on grade 6 ice. For mixed days, the Dry position on the handle and Mixte pick combination is very aggressive, allowing ease of movement, control and holding power on alpine routes.” Based on his experience with the tools, Zangrilli also suggests this test: “When you remove the picks, you understand the perfect balance of the handle-shaft. Place the Mixte and Ice picks on different tools and see the advantages immediately of the hammer-weight on the Ice pick, with the extra bit of swing weight, and how light the Mixte pick is without it”.

At the Michigan Ice Fest we firmly believe in the concept of “Try Before You Buy”. Our demo program provides the perfect opportunity to try out a particular piece of equipment including this year the X-Dream!  So excited to have CAMP on board this year and looking forward to being a demo test center for the Cassin ice tools!