Dry Tooling

Among the frost-dusted boulders, where no trace of ice yet appears, before winter sculpts the ephemeral forms of frozen waterfalls, a discipline is born that allows enthusiasts to prepare for the increasingly short winter season. In dry tooling, ice axes and crampons don't scratch the ice, but seek out the rock's weak points, exploiting cracks, handholds, and tiny footholds. It's a hybrid technique, halfway between rock climbing and ice climbing, requiring control, strength, and sensitivity.
Among the protagonists of this discipline there is Santi Padros, a Spanish mountain guide and AKU ambassador, who has chosen to live in the Dolomites of Val di Zoldo. "For me, mountaineering is a way of thinking, of being in nature." Living in the mountains allows Santi to practice multiple disciplines, punctuated by the changing temperatures and the opportunities that arise. Passionate about climbing, canyoning, and hiking, when the temperatures drop, he finds his ideal terrain: icefalls and ice climbing. Dry tooling is therefore a perfect discipline to train before the ice structures are usable.

Santi Padros

"Cammino, arrampico, scio, faccio torrentismo, con chi desidera che lo accompagni e perché mi piace la compagnia degli altri"

Footwear for mountaineering

For dry tooling, as for any form of modern mountaineering, precise and reliable tools are needed, capable of supporting the technical gesture without ever compromising comfort and safety.
This is how they are born Aurai DFS EVO GTXAndCroda DFS EVO GTX, the AKU footwear of excellence for mountaineering, ice climbing and dry tooling. Aurai DFS EVO GTX with only 770 grams of lightness is designed for cold temperatures where thermal insulation makes the difference. Croda DFS EVO GTX is a mountaineering shoe ideal for challenging climbing and trekking in mixed environments with rock and ice.
Aurai and Croda are cramponable and use technology AKU Dual Fit System (DFS) designed for a perfectly adjustable fit: snug and sensitive during vertical passages, soft and comfortable during approaches or stops. To further enhance comfort in different situations, they adopt the system Elica Natural Stride System to promote the natural movement of the foot, allowing natural support and push, to offer optimal comfort when walking.

Aurai DFS EVO GTX

Aurai DFS EVO GTX is a technical boot for high-altitude mountaineering and ice climbing. A synthesis of lightness, precision, and comfort, it allows you to tackle the most demanding ascents even with a fully loaded backpack. Maximum protection from the elements and high thermal insulation even with prolonged use in cold environments.