Ice Screws, Hooks & Deadmen

When considering ice screws and other winter climbing protection, it should be emphasised that by far the best ice climbing protection gear is rock climbing protection gear. If you can place wires, nuts or slings, then do - they will be far stronger and quicker to place than most ice gear. And despite the general preconception that cams are useless in winter, they are actual well worth carrying as long as they are not placed in icy cracks.

If no rock gear is available then Ice Screws (in good ice) and pegs are the next best options, and only as an absolute last resort, Warthogs, Deadmen, Snow Stakes and Hooks.

Having said that many hard ice routes such as Orion Direct (V) on Ben Nevis require a rack of at least six screws minimum, two for a belay, two or more for runners and two for the next belay.

Ice Hooks are probably the least reliable ice protection short of a tied off sock, but they do have their uses and those uses are: quick hook placement in hollow ice, shallow turf ledges and ice smears too thin for a screw. They are also great for whacking into iced up cracks, particularly corner ones where you would be pressed to place a peg. Of these placements, their most unique use is in turf, particularly the well frozen rim of exposed turf often encountered on mixed routes, where they can provide crucial psychological (if not actual) protection for the next move. Hooks can also be used for frozen turf belays at the top of crags, but a fully driven in Warthog is more reassuring. Warthogs are also useful for running belays and belays where the turf is thick and well frozen.

For really marginal turf placements on harder routes and for shallow iced up cracks, we have been selling a remarkable number of Peckers recently!

Belaying on steep snow where ice screws are useless and there are no rock outcrops is one of the more worrying aspects of mountaineering. All mountaineers should know how to construct a buried axe belay and a snow bollard. The advantage of these is that they do not require anything extra to be carried - the disadvantage is that they are fairly time consuming. Deadmen and Snow Stakes are quicker to use, and the former can be very effective if placed correctly.

Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screws
Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screw
From £76.50
£85.00
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8 In Stock

Weighing 45% less than BD's popular Express Ice Screws.

Grivel Helix Ice Screws
Grivel Helix Ice Screw
From £45.00
£50.00
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10 In Stock

Razor sharp teeth and a T-bar handle makes placement a doddle.

Grivel 360 Ice Screws
Grivel 360 Ice Screw
From £58.50
£65.00
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5 In Stock

Another excellent ice screw for steep water ice, very comparable in quality to the Black Diamond ones.

Grivel 720 Speedy Ice Screw
Grivel 720 Speedy Ice Screw
From £72.00
£80.00
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3 In Stock

Cunning ice screw where the extendable winding handle folds away inside the tube.

Petzl Laser Ice Screws
Petzl Laser Ice Screw
£48.60
£54.00
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3 In Stock

A weight saving standard ice screw that is easy to place.

Petzl Laser Speed Ice Screws
Petzl Laser Speed Ice Screw
£61.20
£68.00
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4 In Stock

A weight saving handled ice screw that is easy to place .

Petzl Laser Speed Light Ice Screws
Petzl Laser Speed Light Ice Screw
£76.50
£85.00
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2 In Stock

Ultra-light screw with aluminium tube and steel teeth - ideal for mountaineering and ski-touring.

Blue Ice Aero Ice Screw
Blue Ice Aero Ice Screw
£67.50
£75.00
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2 In Stock

Very lightweight steel ice screws with steel teeth.

Blue Ice Aero Lite Ice Screw
Blue Ice Aero Lite Ice Screw
£72.00
£80.00
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4 In Stock

Very lightweight aluminium ice screws with steel teeth.

Mountain Technology Warthog Turf Screw
Mountain Technology Warthog Turf Screw
£34.95
10 + In Stock

Just about the only thing available that can provide protection in frozen turf belays.

DMM Bulldog Ice Hook
DMM Bulldog Ice Hook
£35.99
£39.99
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4 In Stock

Protection device for use when nothing else works.

DMM Terrier Ice Hook
DMM Terrier Ice Hook
£29.69
£32.99
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10 In Stock

A miniature version of the Bulldog, and ideal for more marginal placements.

DMM Deadman
DMM Deadman
£44.99
£49.99
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2 In Stock

The safest quick snow belay is a properly buried deadman, and this is one of the nicest designs.

MSR Snow Fluke
MSR Snow Fluke
From £40.00
2 In Stock

The lightest deadman commercially available. Two sizes are available:

MSR Snow Picket Snow Stake
MSR Snow Picket Snow Stake
£40.00
2 In Stock

Aluminium snow stake for belays and anchoring tents.

Fixe Snow Stake "V"
Fixe Snow Stake "V"
From £32.00
2 In Stock

Angled duralumin V-profile snow stake.

Yates Ice-Scream
Yates Ice-Scream
£29.99
4 In Stock

The Ice-Scream has a convenient tie-off mechanism for ice screws.

Grivel Ice Screw Sharpening Service
Grivel Ice Screw Sharpening Service
From £8.00
10 + In Stock

Ice screw sharpening service using a Grivel 360 machine - will work on most steel ice screws.

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