Placing ice-screws with a slight downward angle can be a good idea in hard, uniform, compact ice where the thread will hold well. In anything else - air pockets, snow-ice, melting ice (as per this video) - ice-screws should NOT be placed head down. As you often don't know what you're placing your screw into, it's usually best to play conservative and go for a horizontal placement.
In reply to UKC Articles: Useful and informative, but why did they have to put that music track over the top? It's boring, it's unnecessary (this isn't a climbing sequence where music might be used to build up excitement) and it makes it harder to hear what Roger Strong is saying.
In reply to gethin_allen: Tis what I thought too, and I've never climbed in winter, or even seen an ice screw before Music didn't bother me at all btw.
there was very little talk about the ice its self which is the major control on the placement quality. just "banging around" with your tool isnt a very informative way of descirbing what to look for.
Fri Night Vid Finding Focus - Life Behind The Lens of a Climbing Photographer
This week's Friday Night Video is a portrait of a prolific climbing photographer from Wedge Climbing. Sam Pratt is well known in both the outdoor and competition scene but if you haven't heard of him, you've likely seen...
Podcast Mountain Air - 7. Precarious Freedom and the Cape Wrath Trail, with David Lintern
Press Release Alpkit and Outside Bank Holiday Hathersage Tent Show 4-5th May