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akicebum
Dec 9, 2004, 12:27 AM
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I have dealt with this crap forever and it is always a pain in the ass. Is there any reasonable method for getting a frozen locking biner to work. I rapped 700ft of wet-wet ice today and my biner was frozen open the whole way down. It was a little irritating. I am not going to hang out with extra lockers in my pockets just to change them out for rappels, but I was wondering if anyone had come up with any tricks for getting them unstuck. I leave them a half to quarter turn from close or open, but that doesn't seem to give me any advantage and I have tried every biner under the sun.
I am also wondering if besides blowing, using your pick, or beating the living hell out of your screws there are any other alternatives, nothing was going my way today, my rack of 12 was reduced to 7 usable screws. Ideas? Suggestions?
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simzboardr
Dec 9, 2004, 12:49 AM
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i use a petzl triact biner- sweet autolocker that hasnt frozen over yet. also what kind of screws are you using... i hear the bd turbo express is tapered so the ice is easier to get out
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jello
Dec 9, 2004, 2:05 AM
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What ever you do DON'T LICK IT! :shock:
Why not use two opposed biners for your decent? ........Fooking ice!
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method
Dec 9, 2004, 3:18 AM
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as far as screws go, you just need to make sure and knock the head on your hammer, as soon as you clean'em, until they're clear. a couple days ago after finishing a mixed pitch i rapped to clean my last piece (#2 cam), to get rid of the horrible rope drag. while i was bringing up the 2nd i happend to look at the cam, which had definitly been placed in a crack with cascading water and anyway i tried to get some action out of itand it was totally frozen.
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simzboardr
Dec 9, 2004, 4:52 AM
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what about a couple handwarmers just in case... stuff them in your pocket and if you need them, open them up and tape them onto a screw or biner who knows... could work
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slobmonster
Dec 9, 2004, 5:06 AM
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In reply to: Is there any reasonable method for getting a frozen locking biner to work.
Or was the locking mechanism frozen closed?
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tradklime
Dec 9, 2004, 6:37 PM
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The only success I've had with frozen screws has come from wrapping my bare hand around it and warming up the metal enough to melt the interface with the ice, and then giving it a blow.
I've used a similar tactic with locking biners. Also, I have had better luck with some biners than others. It seems I've had the best luck with the BD locking mechanism; same conditions less likely to freeze up. I have no idea why.
Your right, it does suck. No matter how you deal with it.
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tradmanclimbs
Dec 9, 2004, 6:56 PM
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Spray the inside of the screws with silicon spray. this helps. make sure the second cleans the core of the screw imeadatly. if they wait till they get to the belay you are totaly and completely screwed. Maby a cigerette lighter for emergencys??
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wedgy
Dec 9, 2004, 7:08 PM
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Cleaning the screw cores is easiest right after removing them. I guess there's a little heat generated in the unscrewing process. Lube 'em, screw , bang & blow!
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alpinerockfiend
Dec 10, 2004, 8:27 AM
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Your post inspired this brilliant idea regarding cleaning ice screws if you find it impossible to blow them out right after removal... why not carry a steel-wire brush used for cleaning the barrel of a shotgun (20 gauge? .410 maybe?) and reinforce the ramrod with a sturdier piece of tube.
I've personally never had the ice inside a screw freeze irremovably (nothing a few whacks and "blows" wouldn't take care of), so I've got no idea what the consistency of the frozen shit inside is like... IE if this is an absolutely ridiculous idea or not...
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jimdavis
Dec 10, 2004, 9:15 PM
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In reply to: why not carry a steel-wire brush used for cleaning the barrel of a shotgun (20 gauge? .410 maybe?) and reinforce the ramrod with a sturdier piece of tube.
Not a bad idea, only use a nylon brush. You do not want to scratch the inside of those tubes.
I've heard Pam (the cooking stuff) works well on the screws.
As for the biners...how about a leatherman?
Cheers,
Jim
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mr-pink
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Dec 10, 2004, 9:30 PM
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what about the metolious m-16 boulderbrush?
atleast is works good for cleaning holds! :D
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alpinerockfiend
Dec 10, 2004, 9:50 PM
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In reply to: Not a bad idea, only use a nylon brush. You do not want to scratch the inside of those tubes. |
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eviljay
Dec 10, 2004, 10:08 PM
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Grivel makes a device called the "Candella"(sp) which is an ice screw core cleaner, v-threader, and serrated knife all in one. It works well for gettig stuck ice out of screws.
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watchme
Dec 10, 2004, 10:34 PM
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If you get really desperate, just put them inside your jacket. Maybe under your arms. Just a couple of minutes usually does the trick.
Or, you can use your tongue to warm them up. :wink:
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mounthubris
Dec 11, 2004, 3:33 AM
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Hope I'm not overstepping my noob status here, but I may have a suggestion.
Have you considered wax? The first that comes to mind is ski wax. A good coating of the inside bore of your screws should, at the very least, aid in the removal of ice. I've seen it used in winter excavations on the blades of big shovels, to keep the frozen mud and snow from gunking up the leading edges of the big shovels.
It would be possible to coat the threads of you caribiner also. How well it will stay locked, who knows. It could still become coated with ice in a wet kinda frozen waterfall environment, but it will easily break and flake away from the areas coated the wax.
Just some thoughts.
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