grivel 360 ice screws

[dbconlin]

Does anybody have any comments, from experience or theoretical, about the Grivel 360 ice screws, the ones with the big swing-out arm/crank. Obviously, they would be easier to place, but it seems to me that the arm could get in the way, especially with a carabiner attached to the hangar. Could the arm force open the gate?

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[pms]

I sold 7 of those screws to my friend Jim Ruch in Colorado recently, and he sent me this.

"I used those Grivel ice screws yesterday. They are hot. They start real

nice, and the crank finishes the job real fast, at least in soft ice. The

crank flops around after its in place, so you would think it might catch the

rope, but it seems to be okay. Those quick draw ice screw holsters and the

360° ice screws make for a fast screw placement. I like the whole setup.

I'll contact you when I get back from New

York. Have a good holiday with lots of skiing and climbing! Later, Jim"

I expect to hear more from Jim as the season progreses. Jim Nelson

 

[Guest]

I'm just back from a trip to Ouray and spoke with a number of people who were using the 360 screws. Everyone had positive things to say about the screw starting, threading, and clipping to. The crank arm got good reviews. The only negative I heard was that they are kind of akward to rack. One guy told me that even though it wasn't as clean to rack as an "Express" screw that he would be only buying 360 screws in the future.

Oh, for what it is worth - Omega Pacific is selling an inexpensive "Express" retrofit kit for older Smileys, OP, and BD screws. It won't flip out of the way like the BD "Express" screws, but it might be something to consider.

[mark]

I currently have a mixture of screws on my rack that consists of smileys, BD express and one grivel 360. The grivel is faster and easier to place. You don't have to clear as much ice because of the floating handle. It starts as well as the smileys or BD express but the coffee grinder handle makes it quicker to finish off and easier to work with a glove on.

As previously mentioned, the only disadvantage is that gettting it on and off the rack is slightly more cumbersome than the other 2.

[Guest]

I have used the screw, I have one. It has more theoretical than practical advantages to BD Express. Racking matters when climbing over WI3 and 360's rack badly both on taking out and clipping back on. They also scratch the pants. My partner hangs them separately on individual carabiners but then he has to take the 'biner off to clip a "screamer" - waste of time and energy when doing over 3. I personally found that they do not clip easily but rather the opposite - it is harder to slide the carabiner in quickly when wearing gloves. I found that clearing for BD type screws is not as frequent and outweighs other disadvantages of the Grivel 360. The size of the crank makes no difference for me. Sorry, Grivel, I am not going to get any more.

On the positive side I don't think the handle is in the way if the screw is all the way in. The "quick draw" is only good for storing them.

Have no comment on the reverse threading.

[This message has been edited by rafael (edited 01-17-2001).]

[Guest]

Actually, last trip to Lillooet made me dislike the screw even more. It is yours for $40 along with the rubber "quick-draw" thingy.

[David_Parker]

I have not used the 360 but I would like to comment on smiley vs BD express. I won't ever buy another smiley. They just don't go in as easily as BD! I also have now determined that the fact the BD handle folds down does matter! They just rack so much cleaner. I'll keep my one smiley 22cm for belays. That's it. DPP

[mikeadam]

Hands down, the Grivel screws start easier and finish faster than the BD express screws.

Mark makes a great point about not having to clear as much ice to place a Grivel screw. I haven't tried one out for making an abalokov though, so better keep another screw handy just in case it get burly cranking at an angle.

With gloves it is a much easier screw to place and although there are some issues with racking it I'm sure once people have experimented a bit more it will be a staple on most racks.

Mike

NOT of East Revanna