Black Diamond Express Ice Screw

Black Diamond Express Ice Screw
 -Blems-

Without question, these are the easiest and fastest placing ice screws to ever sink their way into ice. This year Black Diamond improved the renowned Express by redesigning the tooth geometry for easier starts, adding larger crank knobs that are easier to grab and augmenting the hanger with a second clip-in point for belay organization. Quick to bite and easy to crank in, the Express screw features a tapered tube where the teeth cut a hole just larger than the tube itself, for less friction and faster placements. The foldable speed-drive knob is color-coded for quick length identification and offers uninterrupted 360-degree motion. New stainless steel hangers are lighter than previous models, won’t rust and reduce melt-out on sunny routes. The Express is built in five lengths to accommodate a variety of ice conditions. All sizes of screws are now CE-certified. Patented.

Specs:

I am the guy with three different brands of cams on my rack (Wild Country, Black Diamond, and Metolius). I like options, but it is nice to have simplicity as well. If somebody made the perfect cam in all size ranges, I would stick to one brand. Similarly, I have ice screws from Grivel, Petzl/Charlet, and Black Diamond. A lot of partners get bummed out when I pull out my rack of screws. “I can’t rack those Grivel’s”, “Those Charlet screws are rusty as hell”, and “How old are those things”? Like my rack of cams, my screws each have a function and a place in my heart. I love my long (22cm) Grivel screws for anchors and big v-threads; and, I love my short Grivel screws (12cm) for their ability to go anywhere. My old school Charlet’s need a turn knob welded on, but I love the long teeth on them that bite so well. And I have a few Black Diamond screws from various generations. Unlike my cam rack though, it would not be hard to have a uniform rack of screws. I would just buy the new Black Diamond Turbo Express screws. The improvements made last year have refined these screws to the point where they are the best workhorse screws available on the market. Most notable of the improvements last year was the teeth, which are now just as good as Charlet’s teeth, if not better. The knob was also made more user friendly, and an extra clip-in hole was added. All of these things add up to a refined screw that is as easy to place as it is bomber. While I will continue to modify and tune up my old screws, the new Turbo Express will be the first candidate to replace or fill in any spots on my rack. Here at the Wilderness Exchange, we do our best to bring in cosmetically blemished screws (right now we have 16cm and 19cm blems) to save you enough cash to buy a screamer as well. Building your first ice rack? Try conferring with your partners before you load up on only medium and long screws. With two long (19cm or 22cm) screws and some stubbies (10cm and 13cm), you should be able to setup top-ropes for teaching; and, you will be a sought after partner for having those stubbies to fill in the typical rack that most of your buddies will have (medium to long screws).