With the Laser Speed Light, Petzl combines the lightness of aluminum with the strength and "bite" of steel in an ice screw. The result is quite impressive, as light weight is practically not at the expense of performance...
The idea behind this new ice screw is simple. As the only thing that matters when screwing into the ice is the lasting sharpness of the teeth, these are made of hard steel, while the shaft is made of lightweight aluminum to save as much weight as possible.
This reduces the weight considerably without sacrificing performance in practice. At least I haven't noticed any so far. I mainly use ice screws for glacier ascents and ski activities, i.e. for emergencies and to make a quick belay, or to drill a hole in the ice in the freezer. Nevertheless, I would also use the Laser Light for ice climbing without hesitation, if I were to do so occasionally...
Thanks to the integrated crank (which can be folded away to save space) and the aggressive teeth, the ice screw can be screwed in really easily and in no time at all, you don't notice the material mix when handling it, and the difference in weight is of course not noticeable on the climbing harness and in the backpack, but you do save half the weight compared to steel ice screws. This will of course be particularly noticeable when ice climbing if you have a large number of screws with you and not just two like me... The only disadvantage: the price is about €20 higher than the steel version. Ok, the thread in the aluminum part wears out faster, but that's not very relevant for occasional use and permanent hanging on the belt. Would anyone happen to be interested in my old steel ice screws?
The Laser Speed Light is available in lengths of 13, 17 and 21 cm and is of course CE and UIAA certified. Here is the manufacturer's website.
