Comparing A-Threads and V-Threads for Ice Climbing Anchor Strength

(This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for the support!)

I like to build “a-thread” anchors when I build threaded anchors on ice for the reasons I describe in the video: they are stronger and less likely to fail (watch to find out why). And I like to use a long ice screw when I build them (again, watch to find out why). But one other thing I’ve been using is a slightly wider ice screw. I use these Blue Ice Aero ice screws. They are the lightest steel screws on the market (steel turns in ice better than aluminum, but aluminum is lighter). The wider bore means you can reuse existing screw holes and still get new ice, and for threaded anchors, the wider bores mean it’s a bit easier to make sure you connect your second bore with the first one. There is a lot to like about these screws.

But having the right equipment is only part of the equation. We need to understand what makes a threaded anchor more or less strong, which is the point of this video. Hopefully, it does a reasonable job of laying out some of the construction considerations and tradeoffs (everything in climbing has tradeoffs!).

Then we need to understand when, how, and why to use a threaded anchor. Well, shouldn’t we feel free to use it on any solid piece of ice? Well, yes, but there are other considerations. The threaded anchor still isn’t redundant, for example. While a well-constructed threaded anchor is very unlikely to fail on - say - a rappel, it still means injury or death if it does. That’s why when rappelling in a group, it is good practice to backup the threaded anchor with a screw until the last person goes down.

When we backup a threaded anchor, we want the rope clipped through the carabiner or draw on an ice screw, but we want the rope weighting the material in your threaded anchor. The point is to make sure the threaded anchor is holding as your party goes down. We can’t do that if the weight is on the screw. That way, when the last person is ready to go down, she or he can feel free to pull the screw and leave just the threaded anchor in place, trusting that last rappel to that one piece of protection?

Why wouldn’t we leave the backup? You lose the screw. If you are doing multiple rappels, you can’t burn through all of your material. Also, should something go wrong while on rappel and you need to climb back up, you’ll need your screws to protect your re-ascension.

So, as with anything in climbing, there are layers and nested considerations. Once we know one thing (I’ve watched the video and now know how you build a good a-thread) and have practiced a thing (I’m getting pretty good at building these threaded anchors) then we find there is yet more to learn. In an endeavor that evolves as quickly and as much as climbing does, we need to be constantly learning.