Those of us who don’t have power to waste may still have time to waste waiting for the ice season to begin.

If you’re sick of reading about the splendid success of others and lack motivation to go running with a backpack in the staircase, then maybe you´re up for some input from those who master ice climbing in theory.

These papers might tell you more about what really occupies the mind of a PhD than what goes on in the real world of ice climbing (are those guys wearing t-shirts?).

Still, a few offer empirical knowledge based on more than the trial and horror of your local climbing community.
 
There is quite a bit of research on the strength of waterfall ice,  how it builds up and how it collapses.

But let’s begin with getting the protection right.

This report presents several conclusions.

Where to put the pro: It might be ok or even preferable to use someone elses ice screw placement to avoid pump, to be able to use that dull screw without bite, and to avoid ice fracture propagation.

Recently re-bored holes in a freezing environment were found to be strong enough in most configurations.

Abalakov ice anchors were also found to be strong, provided that enough ice area was enclosed by the anchor. This is accepted as a fact based on trial and few error among ice climbers, but maybe haven't been examined in a proper experiment before.

Ready to change? Placing Abalakov anchors vertically appear to be stronger than placing them horizontally. A vertical "A-thread" Abalakov was superior to a horizontal "V-thread" Abalakov.

Climbers may actually have to change behaviour here. Will those results be all it takes, or do we need to hear this from authorities such as the UIAA and see it done by the elite in the glossy gear catalogs first?

Anyway, a 60 degree angle seems to be the best for Abalakov V-threads.
Feeling safer with a v-thread than a stubby? Don't. A single re-bored  short (8 cm) ice screw is generally about the same in strength as a horizontal Abalakov anchor.

During Petzl’s testing, ice screws were on average twice as strong as ice threads.

Slopers, please: the practice of placing the ice screw with an angle of a few degrees less than horizontal is confirmed to be right. The optimum angle seems to be somewhere between 8 and 16 degrees.
On the other hand, as Bennett et al (listed below) shows, it is more important to reduce the impact force on an ice screw than to achieve a perfect placement. This is something we must keep in mind:  “Using a combination of ropes that can stretch more and friction devices in the belay system, the loading rate on an ice screw can be reduced significantly”, Bennett says.

Go easy: Rescue and rapell anchors for slow pull will likely act stronger than when climbers fall onto ice screws (Beverly again). This is yet another reason to obey the already crucial rule of an immediate first placement on lead.

Never use a single anchor as the only anchor while switching belays in a multi pitch climb. A factor 2 fall on a single anchor is potentially fatal.

The same guys also wrote:

More on the protection topic: The equipment manufacturer Petzl organized a pull-test during the “Ice Climbing Ecrins” event in the Fournel valley in 200???

Petzl used a jack to pull and a dynamometer to measure forces (pul-out strength) on
• Ice screws
• Abalakov V-threads
• Ice axes

Results varied a lot due to changing ice conditions during two consecutive days.

Anyway, ice screws proved about twice as strong as Abalakov V-threads.

Wankers Club did a similar test a few years earlier, with slightly different attitude and results.
 

More ice climbing research: