Objects Database

Mountain Technology Ice Axe

Accession Number

1047.2013.1

Object Name

Mountain Technology Ice Axe

Created

23/01/2013

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

23/01/2013

Brief Description

'Mountain Technology' ice axe. Metal shaft with rubber grip. Three holes in middle of head. Adze with triangular hole and serrated pick. Ferrule with hole.

Materials

metal,rubber

Dimensions

Shaft & ferrule 57(l) x 10(cir)cms. Head 27(l) cms.Adze 6(w) cms

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

On rubber grips "MOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY GLENCOE SCOTLAND" On plastic label attached to shafts " MOUNTAIN TECHNOLOGY GLENCOE SCOTLAND"

Colour

black, silver

Maker

Mountain Technology

Object Production Place

Glencoe, Scotland

Provenance

Hugh McNicholl set up a wee workshop down in Glasgow around 1979, the idea being to manufacture climbing equipment. Unfortunately, the early attempts were a bit of a disaster as his first batch of drive in ice screws broke when being hammered in, leaving Hugh with several hundred unusable screws. (see related items)
Undaunted, Hugh changed the name of his company from Mountain Engineering to Mountain Technology and moved to Glencoe in 1981, opening a little factory which primarily made ice-axes, the only ones made in Scotland at the time. The business went from strength to strength throughout the 1980's and 1990's but Hugh was of an engineering background rather than a businessman, and unfortunately, the money men got the better of him in 2004 and he reluctantly closed down the business. Having married Australian, Mary Rosengran in 1992, Hugh moved to Australia in 2007 where he died prematurely in 2012.
Hugh was a great character and was always on the lookout for new ideas. He'd worked out that hillwalkers, mountaineers and ice climbers all wanted different things from their axes aand hammers and the axe we have here is the simple, effective, no nonsense 'Mountaineer's Axe' Hugh also wanted his gear to look good - and it did.
In unused/mint condition, this axe was given to us by David (Spook) Munro who worked with Hugh at Mountain Technology back in the day. Hugh gave the axe to Spook when the factory closed in 2004.

Acquisition Method

Donated by David (Spook) Munro

Acquisition Date

23/01/2013

Condition Check Date

23/01/2013

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

23/01/2013

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