alternative ice pro, or garbo?

Well-built V-threads are completely bomber, assuming the ice is solid and there isn't too much bright sun (black nylon etc in the spring in direct sunlight, etc).

Always put two in, in different sections of ice if possible.

Here are some sweet pull tests, c/o Petzl:

www.dailymotion.com/video/x7z2t1_ice-anchor-workshop_sport

Hi Alisa,

Try this link:

www.theascendingpath.com/documents/Ice%2...20Marc%20Beverly.pdf

I found it thru google. I think there are more studies out there. From the above study I learned that Abalakov anchors oriented vertically ("A-Thread," one hole above the other) are stronger than ones oriented horizontally ("V-Thread"). I didn't know that. The study debunks the notion that Abalakov anchors are stronger than ice screws (I didn't know that either), but says they are strong enough for rappels.

Like any ice anchor, you have to evaluate the quality of the ice and your placement when you build it. I've only used Abalakovs a few times, many years ago, but I think they're really useful. Much better than the older practice of pounding steel conduit into the ice as a back-off anchor. Talk about litter...

Scary - rappel gently or you die!
Thanks for the video and studies andy and lowell.

Scary - rappel gently or you die!
Thanks for the video and studies andy and lowell.

Rapping from v-threads is fairly common and the preferred method for most of the modern day super alpinists.
See Colin Haley's' blog Skagit Alpinism.

www.colinhaley.blogspot.com/

Quote"

Yet more rappelling... The nice thing about rappelling the North Buttress is that there is enough ice to rappel on v-threads the entire way, and by threading the rope directly through the v-threads we were able to rappel a 1,500m buttress without leaving behind a single sling!" End Quote

by lacing the rope directly through a V-thread hole though, it seems like you'd be unable to have an equalized anchor spread over two V-threads... right?  so you're just relying on a single V-thread...or is there some super-tricky method that I can't figure out? (like lacing the rope in and out of multiple holes...which would seem like a real rope drag mess when pulling ones ropes)

by lacing the rope directly through a V-thread hole though, it seems like you'd be unable to have an equalized anchor spread over two V-threads... right?  so you're just relying on a single V-thread...or is there some super-tricky method that I can't figure out? (like lacing the rope in and out of multiple holes...which would seem like a real rope drag mess when pulling ones ropes)

You'd have to ask Colin but from his blog above I interpret that to mean single v-thread and pulling rope. Most of the guys at Colin's level... from what I read... have a risk tolerance ...and/or confidence in their anchors... way above what the recreational mountaineer is comfortable with. They are also probably using thin 7.6 mm weight ropes so pull drag but not be as much as you suspect.

Edit to add. Found this pic on the wed.....looks skookum!