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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 30, 2008 - 08:37pm PT
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fuk fuk fuk and:
What am I really saying here.
I am a rock climber fer chrissakes!
It is time I talk to somebody, a professional maybe, about this... I have nerdish inclinations, issues even.
Oh well, it would be cool to have an original Pterodactyl (Terrordactyl?)
Or an old-school Mountain Technology 60 cm axe.
Yes that would be nice.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 30, 2008 - 08:39pm PT
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Or anything made by Hamish McInnes
'Cuz: if it's not Scottish it's crap!!!
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F10
Trad climber
e350
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Dec 30, 2008 - 09:50pm PT
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'Cuz: if it's not Scottish it's crap!!!
Do Millar mitts count
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 30, 2008 - 11:07pm PT
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A little schnice on the ruckle......
Tom Patey leading on the Alladin Buttress, Cairngorms. John Cleare photo.
More ruckle less schnice!
Jimmy Marshall on Parallel B Gully, Graham Tiso photo. Both photos from Climbing Ice, YC, 1978.
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Dec 31, 2008 - 02:49pm PT
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Well, you guys are dredging a lot of memories here, from a guy who barely climbs ice anymore. I mean, it's scary! (not the recollections...)
That's me and YC on the cover of Mountain. Don't remember ever seeing that issue. I belayed short, after he pestered me with "save some for me." Funhogs, jeez. That's the FA of the Lee Vining icefalls. Any of em. Wish I could recall what prompted us to go there. I might have glimpsed it, for all I know now. We went to take pictures for Climbing Ice, brought our photographer. I always liked the way this series of shots was laid out tall and skinny on the back cover. And I really like the mixed climbing close-up taken the same day across the canyon.
No, we're not talking about Yvon's "big house" right on the point-break side of Pitas Point, itself the next major break south of Rincon -- that was later. The shack was half a mile further down the coast, sandwiched between the old Coast Highway and another good break. Boards in the rafters, and you could see right through cracks in the wall. The waves broke 50 feet away, except at high tide when they were closer. I spent a lot of time sitting up against the seawall writing. Yvon let me stay in the back room months at a time. When Malinda moved in, I retired to the basement of the "Martian Movers" building, under the GPIW store with Tex Bossier.
Tar, you is a sick puppy. But we'll be gentle with your obsessions here even as we deconstruct...
Reality therapy: The old McInnes tool -- the "Terror" -- was a blunderbuss. Bashed the ice into submission -- it wasn't pretty. Way too fat and blunt and shapeless to ever stick a swing, you were reduced to excavating a hole in the ice and then hooking the thing into it to hang on. Brutish.
Still, Don Jensen had one in the Palisades as his only tool, and I've always been amazed at what he did with it. Not water ice -- given the equipage he wisely stayed away from that -- but with nothing more for purchase than that 50 cm shaft plunged in, he down-soloed the FA of the V-Notch in snow conditions. No one for miles around if he got in trouble. It had a hammer face for rock, and he wore it in a holster on his belt.
I always liked the Hummingbirds. Amazing sticking them in brittle ice, with what the pick displaced neatly stovepiping up the inside. Seemed to shatter a lot less. Even the springiness felt good. And knuckle-bashing? That was just normal. The fat wool mittens were armor for that, right? I mean, once they got snow in the palms they damn sure weren't for grip... When my knuckles got too sore, I would sometimes swing a hammer held with just thumb and forefinger on either side of the handle. 'Bout then it was time for the bar.
McInnes: "Ice is for pouring whiskey on."
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Dec 31, 2008 - 03:11pm PT
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Yes quite,
Accurate deconstruction too.. (not that you would do otherwise)
I don't actually hope to USE such a thing as the Terror.
Then there was the "Roosterhead":
Built like a Terror, may have been the first tool to have a little point facing forward to protect the knuckles?
I couldn't make that sharply drooped shortish stuff work well either; some said they were just hooking tools and never suited to fat ice which makes a little sense.
The tube picks for the Big Bird were a little beefier and therefore inspired more confidence, but I still felt too specialized and limiting in other ways (don't ask me exactly what ways...).
But I still think any of the tools Hamish made would be nice to have under glass!
(I would at the least, enjoy seeing some pictures of various things he crafted, besides the Terror)
Somewhere back there in the pile of magazines, there is an article on the craftsmanship end of the McInnis obsession.
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TrundleBum
Trad climber
Las Vegas
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Dec 31, 2008 - 05:51pm PT
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Remember the Forrest hammers ?
http://s236.photobucket.com/albums/ff98/trundlebum/old_gear/?action=view¤t=OldIceTools.jpg
I just tried successfully to get that alpine pick unscrewed and dislodged. A good dose of 'Liquid Wrench' did the trick. I was amazed as that pick had been in there about 30 years if not more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was just back east for X-mass, while there I took a trudge through my dad's basement. I had a pair of crampons that worked great but couldn't remember the brand. I found the front, right portion of one of them... Simond. They were hinged but with stiff boots descent at pretty steep stuff. What made them work well was that the first set of down points were actually at about a 60 degree rake. That made it so on less than vert stuff you could kick back on the four points instead of just the two front. A lot less strenuous.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 1, 2009 - 11:40am PT
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Here is a shot of Hamish MacInnes, the Fox of Glencoe in his shop from Mountains by John Cleare, 1975.
I'm not sure whether the Terror was in his head or in his hands! LOL
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east side underground
Trad climber
Hilton crk,ca
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I'm going to hit "the ice" right now!Ice skating that is. Got my puck,stick, pads ready for some pick up hockey, and some smoooth gliding! Gull lake is on.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 1, 2009 - 12:06pm PT
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And a jolly hockey puck, ye are, Murry! Watch out for the frosty loin check!?!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Sweet archival snag Steve!
"A boy and his tools"....
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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DR!
You’re such a jewel here on the forum.
I love these passages:
“That's me and YC on the cover of Mountain. Don't remember ever seeing that issue. I belayed short, after he pestered me with ‘save some for me.’
Still, Don Jensen had one [a terrordactyl] in the Palisades as his only tool, and I've always been amazed at what he did with it. Not water ice -- given the equipage he wisely stayed away from that -- but with nothing more for purchase than that 50 cm shaft plunged in, he down-soloed the FA of the V-Notch in snow conditions. No one for miles around if he got in trouble. It had a hammer face for rock, and he wore it in a holster on his belt.”
Jeepers, that’s pretty slim toolage for such a descent.
And I’m thinking the shaft on those things is more like 40 cm, so he’s going down a 50/60° slope with effectively nothing more than a claw hammer in hand!
Forget about self arrest….
More stories please.
What about Don Jensen?
Enigmatic personage right???
You must have some John Fisher vignettes too….
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 1, 2009 - 04:11pm PT
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The weapons under discussion from Climbing Ice, 1978.
And a Terrordactyl action shot or two.
The Fox uses Terrordacyls on steep mixed ground on the Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe. Typically he is wearing a "flat at" and gaberdine trousers. From Mountains again.
Rob Taylorin the Hemsedal Valley, Norway. Henry Barber photo. From Climbing Ice.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Nice.
As I mumbled upthread, the Terrors were said to be more about hooking Scottish mixed than swinging thick ice.
I mean, very little clearance with that pick/handle configuration.
I'm pretty sure that first shot was cropped & used in a Salewa crampon ad.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Wow,
Same photo shoot slightly different picture:
From Mountain number 53
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I started out with those crampons.
The front point teeth were angled down but straight,
So it helped to have a little bit different kicking motion than with curved points; sort of a downward kick as opposed to a swing of the lower leg.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 1, 2009 - 05:02pm PT
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To stand and rely on.....unlike that left foot!
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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I always wondered about that too.
(I think he is just baring his teeth)
Then the real terror strikes after that left foot gives way and the tool in his right hand comes shearing out...
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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From Mountain number 58
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Who made the first bent-shaft tools?
Lowe???
Never saw these out in the field; one piece stamped? Cut??
Steve you could probably duplicate these for us in a couple hours?
From Mountain number 68 July/August 1979
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