The following gear reviews are our personal experiences using the products we use outdoors. These reviews are only our opinions and in no way reflect the views, as a whole, of the climbing, medical and outdoor communities. Enjoy!
positives
Let me start by saying that I picked up a full set of screws from Mammoth Mountaineering in Mammoth Lakes CA and would recommend that shop to anyone looking for gear.
Alright. Season two using these screws. Total number of routes climbed, over 60. The screws are still sharp and they work great. Ive placed sizes from 10cm to 22cm from the Eastern Sierra to Ouray CO. Starting the screws is a breeze. Haven't broken one yet. No lead falls have been taken on the screws however I have hung off many belay stations built with them.
negatives
These screws are about $60 a piece so they are not cheap by any means. They cost about the same as their counterpart made by Petzyl. On occasion you can find them on sale.
The color on the crank that helps differentiate the different sizes wears off over time and can be difficult to tell which size screw you're looking at on your harness. To be honest this isn't a huge issue. you can look down and pick the size by looking at the screw.
Overall
IMHO I believe these screws are great. Easy to place, colors are set for certain sizes so they are easy to differentiate and there are no plastic parts on the screw. At the time of writing this review I have not used the Petzyl Ice screws. Next season I will be getting a couple to try out. Stay tuned! You can check them out: Black Diamond or buy them HERE.
Written By Dan Sherman
“As Amazon associates we earn from qualifying purchases.”