Winter climbing comprises four elements; 1)Waterfall, 2)Mixed/Dry-tool, 3)Competition, 4)Solo. In the interest of modernity I have refrained from speaking yea or nay of the 2 until I have had a chance to put this instrument through the paces. Usually this proving assumes the form of scaring the shit out of myself a form of mental catharsis I at times crave. We all have our little nuances...
I had seen an early prototype of what was to be Fusion 2 in November 2007 spent some time top-roping with this set at the Hyalite then heard little more until a rather well-worn pair of advanced prototypes arrived in February 2009. These lacked the molded over-grip and rocked precariously on small holds, hmmm...
My own pair of production 2s appeared at the laboratory one day among the cases of plastic tissue culture flasks and other lab paraphernalia. I produced their jagged medieval forms from within the brown cardboard then ran about the bays howling-ranting about foreign-sounding place-names a story still being told two months later.
Living has never been the same since, those life-altering instances happen every so often, I am ass-over-teakettle in love with this tool. I get asked a lot of questions about whether 2 fills the shoes of Fusion 1 which is a bit like asking Cleopatra who was a more rewarding fuck Julius Caesar or Marc Anthony, 2 has erased all memory of Fusion 1 and so it ends there.
Whereas Fusion 1 was cruelly efficient 2 is pure fun totally reinvigorating the winter climbing experience which brings me back to the four pillars of winter climbing. I should mention that as an older athlete with some mileage under my rig I anxiously scan the horizon for an trick or gimmick to hold my interest. Not that Fusion 1 was a bad tool I still have two pairs in my inventory I simply no longer hold them in such esteem. In the quest for less in the bag I prefer a one-tool solution much as I no longer climb with a heel-plate if light is right then not having to think about what to take is divine.
An early test was to be Secret Probation solo but solo with no sussing just walk up and do the thing. Now I have seen ratings ascribed to this route raging from M4+ to M7 the lower grades reflecting perhaps extensive ice buildup or more likely fanciful thinking on the part of lap-top alpinists. That frigid morning the ice was steep near bullet-proof and smokin' cold. Once you perform the dry-tooling down-climbing is really not an option I never carry a rope on such outings so it's do or die.
Next came Bulldog World another M7-M9 affair in Hyalite. In all fairness I deployed my best Squid jiggery and pokery on this little number sent on my second try and returned the following day to add the elegant Yaniro at the crux for the perfect moment.
Finally comes Ouray the adventure-demo under the Lower bridge where I climbed up having a pretty good idea where there might be some bolts to add quick-draws to another cold, cold morning where it was ill-advised to hit the squeakin' dagger too hard lest the scattered fans get more of a show than I had ever bargained for.
The Invitational on Saturday was all it could be with weird chimney climbing and a sit-start I had unknowingly practiced daily in the confines of my home gym, I wasn't even pumped when I timed out and lowered off.
So, what does it all mean? That I trust my life to this 2. There is no greater endorsement, my gloved hands ever at ease cradled with-on the black rubber-stuff or whatever it is. The Fusion Pick is an obvious choice for mixed where any degree of dry-tooling is anticipated but Laser works too very sticky on waterfall ice. I have added a layer of rubber tape to the grip as the overall profile is fairly slim then again I have always preferred diminutive women as well.
In a rare moment of humility I will concede that 2 climbs better than I do my penchant for on-sight climbing as opposed to planning and working a riute has cost me several sends already. My failures (if that's what they are) barely off-set by my successes, it's hard to always be "on" particularly in front of a crowd and a severely hung-over crowd at that.
What you will need for 2 is a good wrench the flat BD number that comes with the tool being utterly inadequate. I have a 14mm Bost that I got in a hardware store in Chamonix only then can I put enough fire on the lone head bolt to feel secure. A good mill file is a second necessity and truth be told I replace the chome-moly bolts that hold the butt-hook (get yer' mind out of the gutter!) on preferring stainless replacements from the Downtown Ace Hardware.
Bill Belcourt of Black Diamond equal parts Merlin and Leonardo conceived of this tool his stated goal at the time being a tool that climbed ice superbly while still conserving (most) of the dry-tool prowess of the Fusion 1 seems to have beaned the prez' on this one (SON OF A DOG!) proving that Arabs can't throw worth a shit. I believe he threw out the figure of 80% although 2 is more like 90%+ plus that extra sexiness that will get me up every time.
And if you aren't inspired to climb, what's the point of new kit anyway?
Postscript: I should mention that the longish 2nd prototype underwent substantial re-working the toll now being rather-shorter a good thing too as this returned stability to the tool including virtually no pick-shift when transitioning to the upper grip. 2 clears ice features very well owing to enhanced hydro-formed sculpting, I don't know anything about this so I won't be boring but this technology enables the curve of the thing to exceed anything you can create by merely bending aluminum tubes. One high-end climbing athlete seemed to think the plastic tail hook (there, happy?) was slippery, it kind of is but after purchasing my first sports-car this year I can appreciate the need for speed AND for fun, sometimes the safest place to be when in the company of a thoroughbred is squarely astride that mount legs wrapped fingers locked in the mane.
What all this means is that I'm not sure 2 is the easiest tool to use might take some time to learn to "drive" it. I say this as a lot of people hated Fusion 1 which enabled the mediocre Nomic to thrive with its erector-set appeal all the while Fusion 1 was putting up the hardest routes in the world. "it's not the arrow it's the Indian" my local shaman and medicine-man Ryan would say, true enough...
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