Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screw
Designed for high-end alpinists and ski mountaineers counting grams, the Black Diamond Ultralight ice screws still have 2 clip-in points but weigh 45% less than BD's Express ice screws.
- Aluminum body saves weight; steel tip is strong
- Forged-aluminum hanger has 2 clip-in points to help manage belay organization
- Wire-gate Express handle flips into position easily, clicking open or closed
- Color-coded plastic Express knobs make screws easy to identify screw length at a glance
Made in USA.
View all Black Diamond Snow and Ice ProtectionBest Use | Mountaineering |
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Strength | 10 kilonewtons |
Length | 13 CM: 13 centimeters 16 CM: 16 centimeters 19 CM: 19 centimeters 22 CM: 22 centimeters |
Weight | 13 CM: 74 grams 16 CM: 81 grams 19 CM: 89 grams 22 CM: 96 grams |
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Unmatched Performance and Ease: My Top Choice for Ice Climbing
As an experienced guide and ice climbing instructor in Argentina, I can confidently say that the Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screws are unmatched. The screw’s thread design, featuring a conical shape, is exceptional and allows for smoother placements with much less effort than competing brands. I previously used Petzl screws but have now nearly replaced all of them with Black Diamond's, which are significantly superior. The aluminum construction makes them incredibly lightweight, and they’re remarkably easy to place, even in challenging conditions. These are hands down my favorite screws among all brands I've tried. An outstanding product, highly recommended!
Bring the best
Ice climbing throws enough variables and difficulties at you, when it comes to protection, BD’s Ultralight ice screws are the cat’s meow. I purchased 6 before a week long trip to Canada and could not have been happier. They are so light you forget they are on your harness and then place so quick and easy. 5 star!!
Drill baby drill
Super lightweight, sharp right off the shelf & knob spins great. I've heard about the screws not being placed & removed easily, I did notice some resistance but nothing beyond normal while leading ice
excellent
Was not initially willing to pay the extra money to step up from BD's steel screw. However, after reading a few reviews, I picked one to try out, and now have a few. I've been really impressed. The updated tooth angle/cutting edge has makes a huge difference. These bite quickly, and are much easier to place especially with the wire gate type "express handle". They are significantly lighter, and have a more user friendly hanger. Great product. I've also appreciated that these are a larger diameter, allowing safer "rebore" of previous holes (Watch the DB QC vid if you haven't) . This is especially advantageous in the CO front range where many climbs get beaten up.
Helium Balloons are Jealous
The weekend after leading on regular steel BD screws, these arrived. It was an incredible contrast. 16 screws weighed nothing in the pack. They screw in with one turn and are easy to remove. Another group wanted to compare these with the Petzl Laser Light, while the weight seems comparable, the BD ultralights went in much easier.
Good at times, terrible at others
With dry ice these are great. Quick to bite, easy to drill. However in any ice that is wet or has a lot of moisture in it, they will almost certainly have issues getting placed. In wet ice they will often become literally stuck and you cannot place them fully without really hammering on the hanger. I know aluminum screws always have more friction, but these are noticeable worse than my petzl aluminum screws. I'll take the weight of steel screws, at least they can be fully placed in all ice conditions.
Not sure how I feel about these yet. I love how lite they are! I have used them on two trips so far. I had a couple trips where they jammed up in the ice and were very difficulty to screw in. Intermittently while screwing into the ice this would happen. However, there were two other climbs with different ice conditions and whether where they performed just as well as my other screws. Not sure why this is, maybe it has to do with weather/ice conditions. Not sure yet, still experimenting with them.

DO NOT BUY
A lot of people already know this, but the steel tips are GLUED on the aluminum shaft. They spontaneously come off. I've lost a couple steel tips already. The steel tip on my v-threading came off while soloing and making a v-thread to descend, totally sucked. I had to v-thread the rest of the way down with a yellow. This should never happen. These are downright dangerous and should have been recalled!!! The petzl version is secure and won't come off randomly, don't buy these!
A Good Tool for the Right Job
The ultra-light ice screw has its place in climbing, especially if you are hauling them around at high altitude, long distances, or for occasional use. On a day-to-day basis using them for ice cragging isn't an effective use of your money. My pros are obvious: Light weight, sharp as needles when new, nice broad sweeping crank lever. The cons are less obvious: everyone I've spoken to who used these in both Ouray Ice Park and RMNP backcountry noted that at about 4 cms into the ice there is a sudden "binding" or "tight spot". I'm not sure why, but everyone commented. To a beginner this might feel like the screw has "bottomed out", but another quick twist and it starts turning again easily. Overall these screws are what they are advertised and I appreciate that I could afford a few for my longer backcountry trips.
Best Ice Screws on Market
There are plenty of opportunities to ice climb where I live. But it's important to have safe and reliable equipment. The Black Diamond Ultralight Ice Screw is the best on the market in my opinion, and I've tried others. It's obvious that Black Diamond spends a lot of time and money on product design and development. When I am putting my life on the line while climbing, it is reassuring to know that Black Diamond has my back.