CLIMBING TOOLS: Placing an Ice Screw

The hardest part of climbing ice is not climbing ice it is placing protection. Paul (not his real name) walks us through a simple demo of how to place an ice screw. Although this was shot some time ago the principal is the same. Just that the gear is a lot better and the process is a lot easier.

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Category:

Sports

Tags:

• ice
• climbing
• banff
• screw
• placement
• joe
• paul

[wormly81]

Agreed with all caps... testing has shown that the method of failure of screws in good ice is a bending which leads to ice failure. Having the screw in slightly angled towards the direction of pull reduces the likelyhood of placement failure. In response to mikebarter387, theres always an exception to the rule, but placing screws in rotten ice which require an upward orientation is largely unnecessary as it doesnt creat a reliable placement anyway.

[mikebarter387]

@wormly81 You should check out Mikes Mail EP2 we talk about this quite a bit more. Funny everybody say's this but nobody does it.

"In theory communisiam works"

Homer Simpson

[daveforti]

Dude I am afraid to say the dude in the block capitals is right have a look at what roger strong says on the UK climbing website. 10 degrees up is depending on the tube strength of the screw instead of the thread strength.

[mikebarter387]

We have known about this for twenty plus years. However the tube is stronger when the ice is bad. Vertical ice has a habit of being airy and inconsitsnt.

I know whatthe guy is saying. Look he spelt it in caps I can hardly hear. There is a reason why we teach what we teach. We also let people know about the pluses and minuses of depending on threads.

[Thrusthamster]

Could be that you already discussed this with "gt40f", but I think that discussion was more about which way you should angle the screw.

I don't have any experience with this, but I'll begin ice climbing next year I think. However, I read in Mark Twight's "Extreme Alpinism" that, according to research, the screw is more secure if it's not at an angle at all, but perpendicular to the ice.

What are your thoughts about that? Should I use that method when I start climbing?

[mikebarter387]

Sorry to take so long this is from another poster cut and paste answer

Unless of course the ice is complete crap or air infested. Perhaps when you have so little experience that you can't make a judgement call on ice quality. tests and real world application can sometimes conflict.

[MrAnsonHunter]

I hate all the creaking noises....ahhhhrgg....that's terrible

[HHSFHarry]

@lilmario248 The old school ones were like that. ; )

[fgda10]

with gloves on it feels like someone else is doing it......lol.  interesting vid, definately something i wan2 try one day

[mikebarter387]

Unless of course the ice is complete crap or air infested. Perhaps when you have so little experience that you can't make a judgement call on ice quality. tests and real world application can sometimes conflict.

[mgbanach]

DO NOT PLACE SCREW AT AN UPWARD 10-15 degree angle. PLACE IN DIRECTION OF PULL-- 10-15 degree downward angle.

ALWAYS REMAIN CLIPPED IN WHEN OFF BELAY