“Tested Hopes” is a film by APEX Mountain Productions that endeavors to answer that nagging question in the back of every climber’s mind; “will it hold?”
As climbers, we know most of the gear we use is tested to meet UIAA standards, however, tests in labs are one thing, being twenty-something feet above your last “stubby” in chandeliered ice on the third pitch of Nemesis, is quite another.
With this in mind we have set out to test each piece of gear under actual ice climbing scenarios. We will be testing fall-factors up to one with a real climber (our "Test Dummy") taking the falls on a dynamic belay.
“Tested Hopes” is being shot on location in Ouray, CO, Northwest Montana and BC, Canada so as to reflect a wide range of ice formations and conditions. The tests will be shot with two and sometimes three cameras and shown on a split screen in slow motion providing a close-up view of how the gear/ice reacts upon impact. A selection of screws from the major ice climbing gear manufacturers will be tested. The actual loads that the protection sees will be captured using an electronic load cell and laptop datalogging device.
Additionally, we will conduct fall-tests on clipped tools, ice pitons, tied-off screws and screamers being applied in various applications. V-Threads will also be tested, repeatedly, with ice being removed between falls to
demonstrate how little ice is actually necessary to hold a fall. The tests will conclude with falls being made on a single piece of double rope (replicating alternate clipping) greatly exceeding its rated number of falls
with the recorded data indicating performance.
Also, interviews of both known and unknown climbers as they share personal accounts of falls they have taken and, sometimes, the severe consequences they suffered, will be presented. And, as a bonus, you will be shown lead and solo ice climbs from the perspective of the climber’s eye accompanied by an awesome soundtrack!
Our ultimate goal in producing this film is to dispel false perceptions surrounding ice protection. Demonstrating equipment reliability will allow climbers to make informed decisions, thus, freeing them to act with confidence.
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