The weight savings on a single 22 cm screw is 79 grams. Aluminium forged hanger with two clip-in points Similarly, if you really crank/torque the wire handle, it will bend. 2022 Outdoor Gear Exchange, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Times when I was fatiguing and needed the screw to go in quickly or when the stance was a bit awkward. By using our website, you agree to the usage of cookies to help us make this website better. Theyre now the lightest screws on the market and, even better, have an absolutely fantastic tooth profile that really bites into the ice making placing easy In the right kind of ice anyway. The new aluminum Ultralight Ice Screws from Black Diamond come in the same lengths as the old steel Express screws with the exception of the stubby, 10cm screw which is only available in all-steel. He has been ice climbing for 20 years and exploring the frozen drips of Montana from his home in Bozeman for more than 11 years. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. This difference in mindset is essential to keeping the stoke (versus being bummed when they get buggered up or wear out sooner). The result is actually a different tooth profile from BDs Express (steel) screws. $79.95, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points, 13 cm, 74 g (2.6 oz): 16 cm 81 g (2.9 oz): 19 cm 89 g (3.1 oz) 22 cm 96 g (3.4 oz), Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel. The hangers on the Express screws are steel forged in a sharp 90-degree bend that is excellent at clearing/shearing ice during the last few rotations of insertion. Black Diamond is working to make their entire product line follow exactly the same color scheme, so their cams match their nuts, nuts match ice screws, etc. Weigh My Rack LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Specifically, the pairing of the steel tip with an aluminum body has come along with a redesign of the hanger on the Ultralights that is inferior to that of the Express screws. Rounded hanger does not clear ice as well as the Express screws It will go: yellow-blue-gray-purple. These screws are a far cry from the old BD Turbo ice screws I used during my first few seasons of ice climbing along the Front Range of Colorado in the 1990s. [Photo] Chris Luehder. The flip-out wire gate, which feels as if it might bend if torqued on too hard (especially in wet, actively forming ice or on the longer screws), also discourages hitting the screw to clear ice. 
$19.47, From: Black Diamonds Ultralight Ice Screws promise to debut as the lightest ice screws on the market as theyre nearly 45% lighter than BDs steel screws and 15% lighter than Petzls Laser Speed screws. Another option to consider is replacing your V-thread kit or anchor screws with Ultralights, which have the same strength rating (10kN) as regular Express screws. For these pursuits, where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard, and I would rate them 5 stars. The flip-out wire gate creates a longer driving radius than that of the Express screws. Pros Theyre 42-45% lighter than the equivalent size Express screw which is simply amazing! All threads on the Ultralights will be the same length as the Express screws. Very light weight but still bites well! Along with the new Ultralights, weve been told that the knob on 22cm Express screw will also become purple in the near future. A folding handle shaves more weight when you thought the product developers couldn't keep finding ways to cut back, and the handles are color coded so you can choose the correct length and drill the screw on the fly as you fight the pump. Tube Diameters for some Common Ice Screws: Now because BDs Ultralight Ice Screws have a larger tube diameter than their steel brethren, the tooth profile had to change a bit. 
Monte uses the combination of his guiding experience and civil engineering background to critically analyze equipment and apparel providing in-depth reviews on exhaustively tested gear. This will not be the case in production. Rematriating Our Lives: Indigeneity and What it Means to Climb, Matt Cornell free solos Hyalite Canyon testpiece, Nutcracker (M9 WI5+, 450'), Grivel G20 Plus: A light monopoint crampon that shines above the rest, Valandre Troll jacket: As warm as a down coat can be, Montana climbers tap potential of Bitterroots with "Super Ultra Mega" (5.13a, 8 pitches), Patagonia Women's Dual Aspect Jacket and Bibs: Stay dry in the mountains without sacrificing comfort or function, Researchers challenge historical records for 8000-meter peaks, Fast times on Slovak Direct: Two teams speed up one of Denali's hardest routes in a day, The Trango Cirrus: A sturdy dual sport helmet. The main issue that I heard about was a separation of the stainless steel insert from the aluminum tube though there was also some talk about broken cranks. Previously, Black Diamonds 22cm Express screws were green, not purple. For example, if you swapped two full sleeves (12 screws) of 16 cm Express screws with Ultralights, you would save 780 grams (1.7 lbs); roughly equivalent to a three-quarters full Nalgene bottle.
I thought this extra material seemed superfluous at first, especially when the goal was to make the lightest ice screw on the market. The author on Pitch 2 of Bobo Like, Hyalite Canyon, Montana. [Photo] Jim Menkol. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. 
Black Diamond clearly states that these screws are designed primarily for ski mountaineering, glacial travel, and fast and light alpine pursuits. Close up of a Black Diamond Ultralight Express screw (green) racked next to regular Express screws. Black Diamond made the tube on the new aluminum screws a bit larger than their steel screws. #BlackLivesMatter Alison (she/her) runs WeighMyRack from her 17' travel trailer. Unlike most screws, where the cap is flush with the points, the Ultralights have an extension on the cap that allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. After climbing with a variety of different screws from different brands dangling from my harness this winter I found that Id gravitate to the new BD aluminum screws when it really counted. Based on the design of a wire-gate for a carabiner the crank is not only lightweight but also snaps open and closed. One of the black, "reservoir tip" caps can be seen on the long Ultralight Express screw that is racked on the author's harness in the background while Kanut the dog stares down the camera. Built for ski mountaineers, glacial travel, and gram-shaving alpinists, these screws feature an aluminum body with steel tip and an innovative wire-gate color-coded Express handles to differentiate length. However, after several days of climbing frozen waterfalls using both Ultralights and traditional Express screws, I noticed some design limitations that, in my opinion, were not offset by the reduced weight when used exclusively for this application. You wont find elitist or gatekeeping writing here, we welcome all climbers. However, after thinking about it more, I realized this feature would be extremely advantageous for ski mountaineering or glacial travel. Lightest ice screw on the market What you see at the checkout is what you'll pay. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. The innovative wire-gate Express handle shaves more weight and also clicks open and closed. email: support@epictv.com, Company information: Banana Fingers T/A (trading as) EpicTV, Unit 8 Whitehall Trading Estate, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol BS5 9DF, United KingdomVAT GB930689110. $0.00, The lightest ice screw in the world, the new BD Ultralights are crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. This is to meet the strength requirements BD was looking for. Not trivial, but this amount of weight savings may not justify the additional $300 (price difference between 12 Express and 12 Ultralight screws). By using this site we assume you are OK with that (scroll to accept). As with the Petzl aluminum screws, these new BD screws also tend to bind in wet or green ice on cold days. Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. Newly designed "reservoir tip" cap allows for easy removal while wearing gloves. Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Black Diamond Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a durable steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points.
Note: The Ultralight ice screw in this photo is a prototype and has threads going high up on the tube. The Ultralights are perfect for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism. The Ultralights also have a larger driving circumference, as the hanger is approximately an inch longer than that of the Express screws when the wire gate is open. So far, this is a problem that has plagued any and every manufacturer trying this hybrid solution so well have to wait to see how well BD does. Muerden bien y son ligeros, el ojal es un poco pequeo, pero no incomodo, EpicTV Shop Returns: EpicTV, Unit 8 Whitehall Trading Estate, Gerrish Avenue, Bristol BS5 9DF, United Kingdom. Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points. That said, it could mean thatit will try to shut on its own while cranking into sticky ice and your hand wobbles. Aluminium body with steel tip View all posts by Monte Johnston.
With composite aluminum-steel screws there are definitely limitations to the amount they can be sharpened. Additional weight was removed with the introduction of analuminum hanger,wire handle, and plastic knob. Its clear a huge part of the weight savings was moving to an aluminum body (with a steel tip). Why?
The Ultralight ice screws will excel when your goals encompass the fast and light ethos. Which, from a use-standpoint, is totally fine. Not to be left behind in the light-weight ice screw game, Black Diamond has released their own version of a composite, aluminum-steel, screw that theyre calling the Ultralight Ice Screw. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Looking to shave weight wherever they could, Black Diamond constructed this specialty ice screw out of aluminum with a steel tip so as to not compromise drilling efficiency while also dropping weight in critical areas. These screws are 45 percent lighter than the traditional BD Express screws and this is immediately apparent when you pick one up. Were a bunch of gear nerds who set out to level the playing field. The crank on the BD aluminum screws is also a bit more delicate than that on their steel Express screws and so wont take as much abuse either. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookies | Comment Policy | Site Map. In these situations, it is common to rack up long before ice screws will be needed, if at all. Possibly because the screws are green? Lightspeed. Do inquire for a current shipping address. The Ultralights also have a slightly larger diameter than Express screws, which makes threading a V-thread that much easier. The picture is a little distorted as the aluminum screw is slightly closer to the camera, but the aluminum screws are actually wider in diameter than the steel screws. This feature would also be useful in colder temperatures by minimizing the need to handle frozen metal with bare hands. However, like the Petzl aluminum screws they bind in green or wet ice so its still a good idea to have a few steel screws on the harness. Our business address is: Banana Fingers and the Banana Fingers logo are trademarks of Banana Fingers Ltd. We use cookie on this site to enhance your user experience. $169.95, To: 30 N Gould St We dont know the exact weight that was cut by utilizing a plastic knobversus a knurled aluminum knob, but Black Diamond said it was a surprising amount.. The screws are very easy to start as the teeth really bit into the ice. This means that with very little sharpening of the steel tip will expose the interior aluminum tube and may weaken the teeth. Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. From: Of course, I do gravitate towards all-steel screws when placing in green or wet ice as the aluminum guys tent to bind. Of course this is a speculation as I havent sent in any of these screws for sharpening yet nor had any tooth issues. The below table gives you a feel for the various ice screw tube diameters. 37 Church Street, Burlington, VT Of course this will jostle the market slightly, as Petzl and Austri Alpins 21cm screws follow the previous pattern, and are green. On the BD Ultralight ice screws it seems that the aluminum tube extends all the way inside the steel cutting edge to the base of the teeth (see photo). There are no tests that directly compare ice screw durability, but you can expect that these Ultralight screws will get dinged up and dull faster than the full steel version.
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