Bill Brooker was foremost in the new wave of exploratory Aberdonian climbersi n the pioneering days following the Second World War. Primarily, though not exclusively, he was a Cairngorms man with a glittering array of new climbs to his name; many of them winter ascents. The axe we have here in the collection was Bill’s, kindly donated by his son, Ian. It is unusual, being hand-made and special since whoever made it did a very good job. Unfortunately, we don’t know who that was though Bill’s son,Ian, suspects it may have been a Dougie Sutherland. It looks like an axe made by Brades was the template as you can see in the comparison opposite – a fabulous piece of Scottish climbing history whatever.