Weighing in at 45% lighter than Black Diamond's Express Screws, the Ultralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. For these pursuits, where weight savings can be critical, the Ultralights are clearly the new gold standard, and I would rate them 5 stars. This difference in mindset is essential to keeping the stoke (versus being bummed when they get buggered up or wear out sooner). Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. 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. The Black Diamond Express screws will stay at $59.95. Also, the wire gate seems as if it may bend if torqued on too hard. That said, it could mean thatit will try to shut on its own while cranking into sticky ice and your hand wobbles.
The Ultralight ice screws will excel when your goals encompass the fast and light ethos. That being said, if you dont abuse them I expect that the crank will stand the test of time.
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. Nothing in this world is free, and Black Diamond had to pay a cost to achieve the reduced weight of the Ultralights. Available in 13 cm, 16 cm, 19cm, 22 cm. 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). Pros: Easy to place, lightweight, fantastic hanger design. Note: The steel tip is not replaceable. When we write specific place names we will give a land acknowledgement. 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. #BlackLivesMatter Wire-gate Express handle Support WMR: Click before you buy at REI and Backcountry. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Weighing in at 45% lighter than the Express Screws, the Utlralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. 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. $19.47, From: Theyre 42-45% lighter than the equivalent size Express screw which is simply amazing! Lightspeed. Note: The Ultralight ice screw in this photo is a prototype and has threads going high up on the tube.
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. He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, where he fell in love with all things related to rock, ice and snow. Were often mobile. Going larger in diameter saves on weight and material costs so is the obvious choice.
That said, having a couple of these on your harness to place at the end of that steep project might be worthwhile. Of course, I do gravitate towards all-steel screws when placing in green or wet ice as the aluminum guys tent to bind. Editor in Chief at Black Sheep Adventure Sports. Times when I was fatiguing and needed the screw to go in quickly or when the stance was a bit awkward. Weigh My Rack LLC also participates in affiliate programs with Avantlink, AWIN, Bergfruende, CJ, FlexOffers, Webgains, and other sites. Be the first one to hear about our weekly deals on climbing gear. This means that with very little sharpening of the steel tip will expose the interior aluminum tube and may weaken the teeth. All threads on the Ultralights will be the same length as the Express screws. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. The flip-out wire gate creates a longer driving radius than that of the Express screws. Black Diamond made the tube on the new aluminum screws a bit larger than their steel screws. Which, from a use-standpoint, is totally fine. 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. The below table gives you a feel for the various ice screw tube diameters. 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. Sheridan, Wyoming 82801. For the Ultralights were using the estimated/planned weight, as production is not yet finalized so its not yet set in stone aluminum. Large selection of products and fast shipping! Banana Fingers and the Banana Fingers logo are trademarks of Banana Fingers Ltd. We use cookie on this site to enhance your user experience. 30 N Gould St Black Diamond clearly states that these screws are designed primarily for ski mountaineering, glacial travel, and fast and light alpine pursuits. 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. Not trivial, but this amount of weight savings may not justify the additional $300 (price difference between 12 Express and 12 Ultralight screws). But I live in Bozeman, Montana, where my main passion is steep ice climbing, so I tested these new screws in Hyalite Canyon, one of the premier technical ice climbing venues in the Lower 48. The Ultralights are also easily identified by length with the classic BD color scheme. - Powered by Similarly, if you really crank/torque the wire handle, it will bend. Weighing in at 45% lighter than our Express Screws, the Ultralight Screw combines a steel tip with an aluminum body and forged aluminum hanger that features two clip-in points. That said, there are folks out there (like our recently profiled Kurt Morrison), who prefer to climb with aluminum screws in most scenarios. As with any new product, these new screws had a few issues when they were first released to the masses. 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. If you go with the Aluminum version the crank is purple where-as its green if you buy the all-steel version. Even though E-Climb has aluminum body ice screws (with replaceable steel tips) they are a fair bit heavier than the Black Diamond and Petzl aluminum options due to E-Climbs steel hanger. Black Diamond designed the Ultralights for climbers attempting alpine climbs with huge approaches, glacier travel or ski mountaineering, or any situation when you dont want your seldom used safety gear weighing you down. Additional weight was removed with the introduction of analuminum hanger,wire handle, and plastic knob. Hell yes I want gear news in my inbox (as a monthly newsletter)! Of course this is a speculation as I havent sent in any of these screws for sharpening yet nor had any tooth issues. Hanger does not pivot off the shaft as far as that of the Express screws; this limitation causes the Ultralight to bind against the ice sooner. 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. Suite 23131 It will go: yellow-blue-gray-purple. 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. 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. Black Diamond's Ultralight Ice Screw was designed because weight matters for those serious fast and light missions. Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided with some test samples but of course this didnt influence our opinion in any way. (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[7]='MMERGE7';ftypes[7]='dropdown';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true). The result is actually a different tooth profile from BDs Express (steel) screws. The hanger on aluminum screws are made of aluminum making them more delicate than their steel brethren. This may require more clearing of ice or minimize ability to place in tight spots.
Lightest ice screw on the market EU fuss-free delivery! Do inquire for a current shipping address. Lastly, the hangers on the Ultralights do not pivot as far off the shaft as the Express hangers do and this limitation causes the Ultralights to bind on the ice sooner. Hanger: Forged Aluminum Body: Aluminum Tip: Stainless Steel, Aluminum forged hanger with two clip-in points. 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. $0.00, The lightest ice screw in the world, the new BD Ultralights are crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. The tube issue seems to have been corrected and, as I mentioned above, dont abuse the crank and you should be fine. You can likely bend it back, but continued abuse will see its demise. Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. Our business address is: This will not be the case in production. When BD talked to us about the engineering behind the screws, they emphasized how many ice blocks they went through trying to get the perfect tooth design that would enable the screws to start beautifully.
The Ultralight ice screws are expected to be released in October, 2018. EPICTV, the EPICTV logo and all other EPICTV marks are trademarks of Elisa Oyj. $15.10, To: JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. $189.95, As low as: From: Functionality-wise, a nice perk is that the wire handle is spring-loaded and it pops into the open and closed positions so theres no guessing of when its in the optimal position. The author on Pitch 2 of Bobo Like, Hyalite Canyon, Montana. 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. She is currently touring the US and would love if you contacted her to meet up to talk about climbing, climbing gear, or if you have any fun and/or ridiculous adventure in mind. To find out more about our privacy policy, including use of cookies, please visit our, Hanger: Forged Aluminum, Body: Aluminum, Tip: Stainless Steel, 13cm (Yellow), 16cm (Blue), 19cm (Grey), 22cm, (Purple). [Photo] Chris Luehder. Out of stock (0) Available in store: Check availability, Make a choiceSize : 13cmSize : 16cmSize : 19cm. The weight savings on a single 22 cm screw is 79 grams. 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. You wont find elitist or gatekeeping writing here, we welcome all climbers. The difference is having the understanding that these screws will not last as long. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! Crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. Designed for ski mountaineering, glacial travel and high-end alpinism, the Ultralight Ice Screw says it all in the name. Constructed from the ground up these screws feature a new aluminum hanger and aluminum tube thats attached to a hardened steel cutting surface. The lightest ice screw in the world, the new BD Ultralights are crucial for fast and light objectives in the mountains. So the question is: are you the type of person that doesnt mind your lightweight gear needing to be coddled? In these situations, it is common to rack up long before ice screws will be needed, if at all. However, for some strange reason BD decided to deviate from their standard colors with the 22cm screw. Copyright 2022 Vertical Addiction Of course this will jostle the market slightly, as Petzl and Austri Alpins 21cm screws follow the previous pattern, and are green. In contrast, the Ultralight hangers are comprised of rounded aluminum that does not clear ice as easily.
Aluminium forged hanger with two clip-in points A few rocks and sharpening cycles at home and youll want to send the screw to a pro to get a proper sharpening job done. The E-Climb Klau2 14cm is 116 grams and the Klau2 18cm is 126 grams per screw. 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. Up To 30% Off Backcountry MTB Apparel .css-1081t4c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Shop Now, Basecamp Under The Stars Shop Coolers, Camp Furniture & More. A small detail, but worth noting, is that the knob color range on the Ultralight Ice Screws. The basic design features include: The new aluminum hanger sports two large clip-in points as well as a cool and unique crank.
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.
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