A bit of an eclectic mix that we have here – an array of mountaineering gear used for cleaning! It may seem odd to the non climber, but many of our modern day rock climbs were once covered in grass, heather, loose rocks, dead sheep and anything else that is commonly found on a mountainside. Having spied a nice natural line on a cliff face, a climber would often abseil down the line and remove unnecessary detritus before pioneering his or her new climb. The equipment we have here once belonged to Ed Grindley, who pioneered dozens of new climbs in his climbing career and cleaned many of them if the amount of wear on the equipment is anything to go by. The one obvious thing that’s missing is a brush to sweep the ledges – toothbrushes are sometimes used – Ed’s wife Rona has probably taken it back to sweep the hearth! The CHOUINARD HAMMER is a bit of collector’s item and some will be horrified that it’s been put to such use. The two CLOG ASCENDEURS are very early models and collectable too. The JUMAR has been strengthened with white tape down the back as the alloy was prone to snapping! The CMI PITON HAMMER is fairly standard and the ODD SHAPED WIRE THINGY looks home made – it’s used for cleaning thin cracks. The TERRORDACTYL is also a bit rare and good for cracks. Sadly,Ed passed away in 2010 and his wife Rona donated this gear to the collection. We’ve kept it together as a mini collection as well as a rarity.