It maybe hard to believe in the modern high tech world, that folk were using a crate hammer/axe to climb ice back in the 1930s and 40s, but they were. Step cutting with wooden-shafted axes was the norm in those days as front points on crampons were yet to be invented and most climbers still used nailed boots rather than crampons. Anything that could gain more security was quickly embraced as more and more difficult climbs were tackled. In 1938 F. Gardner Stangle, Dick Morsley and Percy Small did the first ascent of Comb Gully on Ben Nevis. Stangle found the short length of his modified crate hammer invaluable on the steep ice and used the pick of this tool on all of the ice pitches.

An early pioneer, Douglas Scott, had a short axe made by a Cambuslang blacksmith in 1936 (we have it in our collection) and seeing how effective it was, his pal W.H. (Bill) Murray went off to the local ironmongers and bought a crate hammer, removed the side claw and put it to good use on many a Scottish Gully.

The hammer we have here in the collection was found on Ben Nevis in the 1980s which would indicate that it had been used for climbing; what and by whom we don’t know unfortunately – if only it could talk!