We recently travelled to Germany to try out the latest climbing innovation from Salewa, the brilliantly-named Quick Screw (so named because it combines an ice screw and a quickdraw) and now we have five of these cutting-edge ice screws to give away!
So what exactly does the Quick Screw do? This is our Web Editor, Joe Innes’, take on the device: “Salewa’s patent pending tip-and-thread protection is seamlessly attached to the quickdraw extender, and is concealed when the screw is in use. This not only increases the climber’s safety when carrying the screws, but eliminates the need to remove the caps before climbing. As mixed climbers will know, deciding to keep the caps on when climbing (to protect the screw tip) can often lead to a desperate one-handed attempt to remove them mid-route.
“The folding quickdraw and tip protector makes racking incredibly easy and compact. Carrying a large number of screws is much easier without the need for plastic clippers. Racking the screws on gear loops also allows the climber to easily take screws in any order, rather than the one nearest the gate of the plastic holder. The attached quickdraw not only spins freely when the screw is being placed, but can even slide up and down the shaft. This simple idea makes the screw extremely versatile; rather than tying it off with a sling when ice is too thin for the full screw length, for example, the climber can simply slide the quickdraw up against the ice. Even if the ice is too thin for the whole thread, the quickdraw can be moved down the thread too. This feature solves a common problem faced by climbers, particularly for Scottish winter climbing. Without needing to find and attach a quickdraw after each placement, valuable seconds are saved. When climbing steep technical ice, the difference is incredible, helping to prevent ‘pump’.”
HOW TO ENTER
To enter our competition to win one of five 13cm Quick Screws, just answer the following question:
What two items of gear does the Quick Screw incorporate?
a. Ice screw and sling
b. Ice screw and quickdraw
c. Ice screw and piton
Entries must be received by 10th February, 2015, and winners will be notified by the 15th Feb.