This photo shows some history: The two gray slings (1" tubular webbing using the inside-outside water knot), an alpine axe, some other ancient axe, bunch of ovals, strap-on crampons, the gators, the helmet, and of course the old ice screws. Are those snowmobile boots? Man, bold climbers back then.
The "other ancient axe" is a Pterodactyl, invented in the mid '70s to be swung in the narrow confines of Scottish gullies. Commonly known as a "terror" at the time. It was incredibly better than most other tools of the time, when Chouinard was writing books about how the gentle curve of his picks mimicked the natural arc of an axe swing and educating us all in the French terms for various cramponing techniques.
Meanwhile Hamish McInnis put a mean drop angle on a short pick, mounted it to a short metal oval tube handle. It worked superbly on Scottish ice in the gullies and and vertical frozen turf on the buttresses. Also kept the evil forces at bay in Glaswegian bar fights.
I still have one- maybe I'll break it out next season.
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