Will Your Screw Hold?

[jumar]

Let's try this new YouTube button...here's some guys testing whether ice screws will hold a fall.

My friend fell on stairway about 40+ feet on a screw while we were climbing there a few years back. It happened to be a longer screw, so that was good!.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2guWbO0Z_Hc

[Brian in SLC]

Let's try this new YouTube button...here's some guys testing whether ice screws will hold a fall.

Wow, neat stuff. Gal in the orange jacket is displaced kiwi Anna K who lives here in SLC. Seen her out a bit. Gal can climb thin, steep ice pretty darn well (rock too for that matter). One of the few woman who's full on UIAGM certified as a guide here in the U.S.

Also, they spelled Sean's name wrong (its Isaac). Nice feller. I have a funny second person story about him I'd relate in person...


My friend fell on stairway about 40+ feet on a screw while we were climbing there a few years back. It happened to be a longer screw, so that was good!.

Naw, that ain't good. Falling is mucho verboten (go with that cross language thing there) on ice. Note that the testing guy never had crampons on. And...was falling on really steep ice.

Not sure how most folks will interpret that testing. Yeah, its good to know that a screw will hold in some ice. But, is it good to know so you can push it? I don't think so. If you climb much ice, and push close to the edge very often, sooner or later you'll end up taking a fall. Most falls on ice result in, at a minimum, injuries.

Testing that Luebben and Harmston did a few years back at Ouray was also interesting. Different configurations, different types of screws, tie offs, etc. Did change the way I protect with screws, to be sure. I used to angle them up, now, usually, straight across and sometimes 10 or less degrees down. And, I almost never tie them off any more.

I've been doing the ice thing for a number of years, and know a bunch of folks who have as well. Thing almost all of us have in common? We've never fallen (knock on wood!). A feller I know was in the hot tub at Ouray, and Donini was pontificating. He mentioned he'd never fallen either. I think for saavy, long term, solid ice climbers, that's pretty common.

Every once in a while I see someone post on the 'net, "I took my first fall on ice today!". Eee ghad. Trouble trouble.

Fear is a good thing. Don't build a house of cards. Don't fall.

-Brian in SLC

[jumar]

Naw, that ain't good. Falling is mucho verboten (go with that cross language thing there) on ice. Note that the testing guy never had crampons on. And...was falling on really steep ice.

Right, the fall wasn't good. Wasn't implying that. He actually caught a crampon and broke his ankle. Lucky that was all that happened to him. We were glad though that it was a long screw and not a stubby.


Thing almost all of us have in common? We've never fallen (knock on wood!).
Ditto. I've been leading on ice for...probably 10 years. Never have taken a fall. I'm a big fan of having respect for the seriousness of being on the sharp end of the rope. I won't lead something unless I'm pretty dang sure I won't fall.

[Iceaxe]

:eek2:

Seem's to me a test dummy in place of an actual living human would be worth some type of bonus points.

:five:

[Brian in SLC]

:Seem's to me a test dummy in place of an actual living human would be worth some type of bonus points.

I dunno. Give the guy prop's for takin' the whip.

Any ol' dummy coulda done.

[Sombeech]

Let's try this new YouTube button.

Don't ya love it? :cool2:

[jumar]

Indeed I do :2thumbs:

[Iceaxe]

Let's try this new YouTube button...

When did we get this?.... pretty cool.

:nod: