racsom Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I did a quick search and couldn't find anything on ice pitons. I was wondering what are the thoughts on ice pitons. Are they useful? How do you use them? I assume they are not meant to take falls. Maybe only minor ones. Am I correct?? Any help is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendershot Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 "During the first ascent of the Northwest face of the Weisbachhorn in the eastern Aps in 1924 Willo Welzenbach and Fritz Riegle first used (solid) ice pitons as protection. The leader hammered them into the ice and the second chopped them out. Fourteen years later the tubular ice piton was invented (in Germany). In 1960, a Swiss mountain rescue specialist named erich Friedli invented the first ice screw (that was actually twisted into the ice)." - Grivel North America You still want ice pitons? Are you thinking of BD Spectres? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan_Miller Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I suspect that 'racsom' is referring to such devices as the 'Snarg' or 'Warthog' made at one point by Chouinard. These were designed to be pounded into the ice and then twisted out in the manner of a modern ice screw. I still have one, a "Warthog' which can come in handy for a swiftly placed anchor(kind of in the 'quick and dirty' mode). They had somewhat less holding power than the ice screws of their day; and of course were very dependent upon the solidness of the ice they were placed in just like any ice or snow anchor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Go git 'em: Ice pitons at Sierra Trading Post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 Just to clarify for the original poster why modern ice screws are so superior to ice pitons is that, whereas pitons displace ice, ice screws remove the ice as shavings. When you try to displace ice, a nearly incompressible solid, it cracks. Screws if designed properly, cause minimal cracking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WageSlave Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I wouldn't trust one to hold very much. Body weight maybe or maybe a short fall. You can hammer them into pretty much anything though. Word on the street is that they're one of the few things that works in super iced up cracks. I'd take a couple and fuck around at ground level to see what holds and what doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric8 Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 About three years ago I bootied an old pound in, twist out ice screw at banks lake with a fully activated screamer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racsom Posted December 12, 2007 Author Share Posted December 12, 2007 Thanks guys for the information. Just to clarify, I did mean the BD Spectres. I was trying to figure out why they would still sell them since ice screws would seem so superior. But as WageSlave pointed out, they seem to work well for iced cracks where an ice screw might not fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bug Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 I used snargs and pitons for when I was pumped and wanted some extra holding power beyond my tools. They go in quickly and hold body weight pretty reliably. I know, I know, that's aid...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvashtarkatena Posted December 12, 2007 Share Posted December 12, 2007 the BD spectres would come in handy on very chandeliered, brittle ice where a lot of hooking is required. Such ice might not take screws at all, or require a major excavation to get to reliable ice. Here's an example from this weekend I encountered (on top rope): You're hooking a chandelier overhang which won't take screws from a shelf. The nearest screw placement is at your feet. I can see hooking a Spectre up high in the chandelier to keep from hitting that shelf if your tool pops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted December 21, 2007 Share Posted December 21, 2007 i belayed off a spectre once, i wouldn't recommend it they work pretty good beaten down into frozen mud and moss when you can't find any trees around to trust, ie. if climbing outside the PNW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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