UKC

Going to the Swiss Alps in July. It says on the kit list to take one ice screw. What is recommended as a good length ice screw to take and then also, where is good to buy one online? Some quick suggestions would be nice because I have a nice bit of money to play around with at the moment.

anyone?

In reply to Ads Co.:

Get yourself a BD turbo express 17cm. Super duper quick to place and a good usable length. Pay about £35.

Davie

In reply to Ads Co.: I give Grivel helix 16 cm my vote

In reply to Ads Co.: Another vote for BD turbo express. Best screws to place in my experience.

Iain

In reply to Ads Co.:

I really like the BD Express but there are other alternatives with the same 'integrated handle' concept from Grivel and Petzl to consider.

If you are just taking one Ice Screw, presumably its for crevasse rescue and practice, so is there an argument for a 22cm for maximum strength (not like you are going to bottom out on a glacier!) then you can also practice Abalkov anchors.

In reply to Ads Co.:

I like the DMM Revolution screws. The machining and attention to detail are second to none. As for length I'd go for a 22cm. As you will only be carrying one screw its purpose will be as an anchor for crevasse rescue and for abalokov threads so you'll need as deep a penetration into the ice as you can get.

In reply to Snowplod:

I've got a couple of DMM's too and they are very nice, but lack the twiddly handle of BD's making them marginally slower.

Davie

In reply to Ads Co.:

In the views of a humble beginner, I've tried my Black Diamonds (turbo and turbo express) and my mates Grivel 360's. If I was to buy more I'd buy the 360's as I found they were easier to place, and required less of an area to be cleared before placing them (as the handles fold out in such a way they can take less space to get them in than the BD's).

Happy to be corrected, this was just my views after my first two days of ice in Chamonix.

In reply to Ads Co.: All modern screws from the big manufacturers are much of muchness, you won't go wrong with Grivel, BD, Charlet or DMM. All make very good screws. Having a flip-out handle of some type is nice but for use on a glacier like you need it for it's not the end of the world if you don't.

22 cms might be good, but to be honest the difference in their holding power over 17 cm screws isn't that great.