Objects Database

Terrordactyl Ice Axe - modified

Accession Number

1345.2016.1

Object Name

Terrordactyl Ice Axe - modified

Created

31/07/2016

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

31/07/2016

Brief Description

Modified Terrordactyl Ice Axe with Simond Pick

Materials

steel

Dimensions

Shaft 36(L) cms Head 30 (L) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

On pick "CLAUDIUS SIMOND CHAMONIX - MONT BLANC SIMOND SPECIAL " On bottom of shaft "244"

Colour

silver

Maker

Pick - Simond Terrordactyl - MacInnes

Object Production Place

Glencoe, Scotland and France

Provenance

Scottish mountaineer, Hamish MacInnes, revolutionised the world of ice climbing back in the late 1960's when he invented the Terrordactyl - the world's first, drooped pick ice climbing tool. Those were revolutionary times when ice climbers were venturing out onto ever steeper ice climbs and were looking for ways to make progress other than by cutting steps. The picks of ice axes were bent, drooped, curved, bananared and sometimes swapped as is the case with the interesting Terra that we have here in the collection.
Though they were a major step forward in ice climbing technology,Terras were nicknamed knuckle bashers since they brought the knuckles into contact with the ice when whacking them in. To counter this the banana pick was invented and someone has grafted a Simond banana pick onto this Terrordactyl, probably in the 1980's, to create a unique tool.
The axe was donated by Mountain Guide, Bill Newton, though he doesn't know who did the conversion.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Bill Newton

Acquisition Date

31/07/2016

Condition Check Date

31/07/2016

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

31/07/2016

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