You're placing an 8cm 'stubby' screw in questionable ice.   With each turn you think, "Yeah. Maybe. Uh Huh. Sure." You look at the next few moves and where you next placement might be.  Oh... looks like about 15ft.  That means at least a 30 footer onto this silly excuse for 'pro'.  I know! I clip a screamer to it and all will be right with the world!

Screamers, those unfortunately yet excitingly named pieces of shock limiting gear that we climbers use under the impression the they will actually save us, aren't a new idea. Screamers 'rip' some light duty stitching of folded over webbing that is activated at about 450lbs. The standard "Screamer" can effectively reduce peak loads by 3-4 kN an any climbing or rescue system.  Screamer is actually the name that Yates uses for their load limiters, but mostly everyone uses the term for all load limiters:

 

Petzl makes one:

Mammut makes one:

I'm sure there are others.

But THIS NEW ONE by the Barcelona based E-Climb takes the award for innovation.  Now you can REUSE your screamer if you taken a fall on it. You see after a regular screamer is blown, it's useless.  It's a 1" wide 2' mess of a sling that is not longer refoldable or resewable.  E-Climb designed this confusing looking device called the 'Dissip' that a small sling threads into and provides load limiting slipping friction via the latticework to slow a climber down in a fall.  Then all you have to do is rethread the sling and viola, screamer ready to catch the next whip.

Pretty sweet eh?  Two problems. I cannot find any info on the Dissip in action, and from their marketing material the slings can only take 5 falls.  Seems like a nice idea though. That's 4 more falls than a regular screamer. Watch out though, you MUST use their sling since a regular dyneema sling will MELT from the heat created from the slipping action. This is prolly the reason I wouldn't use these.  I do NOT want to be run out on some grade 6 moster wondering if I rethreaded my Dissip with the correct sling...

But that's not all!

E-Climb has also developed ICE Screws with REplaceable tips called the Klaus.

The steel tips are removable from the super light aluminum screws, and replaceable via threads and glue.  Glue?! Yes, glue.  I think that sounds 'very interesting' let's say.  "Hey bud, I think I may blow it here.  Not to worry, the tips of my screws are GLUED ON! Right then, got me?"

Still the idea is intriguing and this review at Climbing Extreme gave it a thumbs up, but he didn't get to the tip replacing part.  That's what I want to know about.

This may seem detrimental to my buddies who run ice screw sharpening businesses, and it may well be if the idea takes off.  But for now, the replaceable tips idea remains in Europe.

Till then, enjpy some ridiculous chicanery brought to us by our friends at E-Climb: