How do you rappel on ice without leaving gear? The V-thread from two crossed holes, its holding power in numbers, the right orientation and why the first…
Straight talk for the advanced: the V-thread — also called an Abalakov — is the standard rappel anchor on ice. You drill two crossing holes with a long screw, thread a cord through, tie it and rappel off it. All that stays behind is a piece of cord, no gear — which is why it's so popular for long descents.
The number that counts: a well-built V-thread in good ice holds around 8 kN — easily enough for a rappel, where only your body weight hangs statically on the anchor anyway. For comparison: a 16 cm screw in good ice holds around 10 kN. So the V-thread is a touch weaker, but you leave no gear behind.
A detail many don't know: orientation matters too. In tests, vertically oriented threads hold clearly more than horizontal ones — roughly 14 kN versus 11 kN. But the most important thing always stays the same: good, thick, blue ice and enough "meat" between the holes.
Look for thick, compact, blue ice without cracks, air pockets or hollow-sounding spots. The V-thread is only as good as the ice — it has no place in rotten or thin ice. Pick a smooth, vertical surface as your base.
Drive the long screw into the ice at a slight angle — just as you tilt a normal screw slightly up. Drill it all the way in and back out so a clean channel remains. Note the entry point and angle exactly.
Start the second hole about 15–20 cm from the first and drill it so the two channels meet inside the ice — forming a "V." Enough ice between the holes is decisive: the more ice the thread encloses, the stronger the anchor.
Push the cord through one hole with the hook and pull it out the other. Join the ends with a solid knot (e.g. a double bowline or overhand). Give the thread a hard test pull in the load direction — it must not move.
The first person down backs the thread up with an extra screw. They test the V-thread with full weight; if it holds, the last person removes the backup screw and rappels on the thread alone. That way nobody ever hangs on the bare anchor untested.
A V-thread is a full-value anchor — but only in good ice. All the strength figures (around 8 kN) apply to thick, compact ice; in warm, rotten or thin ice they're worthless. Assess the ice before every drilling as critically as for a screw.
Always rappel with a backup for the first person and let the last one hang on the thread alone only after a passed load test. And fundamentally: V-thread building and multi-pitch rappelling are advanced skills — practice them with a mountain guide before you rely on them for real.
In cold, brittle ice drill the thread more generously — longer legs, more enclosed ice. And with several people rappelling, leave the cord a bit longer and knot it cleanly; a frozen, too-short thread is hard to move later when pulling the rope. Some pros even thread without cord (the rope directly through) — that's delicate and not for beginners.
A well-built V-thread in good, firm ice holds around 8 kN — enough for a normal rappel, where only your body weight hangs statically on the anchor. For comparison, a 16 cm screw in good ice holds about 10 kN. The ice quality decides, not the anchor alone.
Tests show vertically oriented threads hold more than horizontal ones — roughly 14 kN versus 11 kN. In practice both work as long as the ice is good and enough ice remains between the holes. When in doubt, the vertical variant and lots of enclosed ice.
Yes — for the first person down. They back the thread up with an extra screw and test it with full weight. Only once the thread holds does the last person remove the backup and rappel on it alone. That way nobody ever hangs on the bare anchor untested.
Yes, you can rappel from a screw anchor or be lowered on top-rope — but then you leave gear behind. The V-thread is the standard solution for gear-saving descents over longer routes, because you leave only a piece of cord.
Ice Climbing: Hazards and Cold Management