Black diamond pick question(s)

So last time I bought picks, the laser was a newer pick. So... anybody have a recommendation between ice, ice plus, or Titan for my cobras. I’m taking them to big mountain terrain. Ice and light mixed. 

Dirt Squirrel wrote:

So last time I bought picks, the laser was a newer pick. So... anybody have a recommendation between ice, ice plus, or Titan for my cobras. I’m taking them to big mountain terrain. Ice and light mixed. 

I only have experience with the stock Titans that came with my vipers.  I think they’re better than beating the ice with a dull stick or using finger nails but not by much...   jk they’re not that bad but real ice picks do so much better.  

Have you seen the flex tests for picks?  The data was eye opening to me.

I haven’t tried their pure ice picks.  But titans are meh.   If ice is the priority and it's light mixed i'd definitely go with a ice or ice plus 

Titan pick, T-rated so you can torque them without fear.  You can use the laser but that is more of a pure waterfall ice pick.

Whatever you use, make sure they are new.  Field experience, backed up by BD's own advice, is that their picks have a shorter than average (maybe roughly one year) lifespan.

Gunkiemike wrote:

Whatever you use, make sure they are new.  Field experience, backed up by BD's own advice, is that their picks have a shorter than average (maybe roughly one year) lifespan.

Yerp! Looking more specifically at ice plus pick, anybody have any info on those??

Dirt Squirrel wrote:

Yerp! Looking more specifically at ice plus pick, anybody have any info on those??

In case your still looking for an answer, here is my brief summary of my experience with bd picks.

LASER/ICE: Does exactly what it says on the tin and a damn fine job of it. With minimal modification these things are beautiful on ice, they can do moderate mixed ok as well.

ICE+: these climb ice pretry much as well as the normal ice picks, not quite as nice IMO, but have the advantage of being significantly more stable on mixed, just don't go too nuts with the tourqing. This is my favourite all around pick.

ALPINE: they climb ice ok out of the box but with a bit of file work they climb ice pretty good considering they are a fatty T rated pick. These have the advantage of being super durable for mixed and scrappy alpine and still be able to climb ice well.

MIXED: climb mixed great, don't do too well on ice. That's all you need to know about this pick.

In the end a pick isn't going to make you climb half a grade harder. You said your taking them into the mountains, so I would recommend the alpine pick, the ice+ and ice just don't stand up to scrappy climbing in the moutains like the alpine does.