I had a call from a colleague last night, she is heading away to morocco with a friend, and needed a spare Ice Axe. I haven’t seen her for a while, so asked why she thought I might have an axe she could borrow given she knows many instructor types?
Her answer was quite hilarious, she said she tried to think of someone who would have a walking axe yet be unlikely to use it in the next two weeks. I didn’t know whether it was a compliment, dig or insult! Either way her tone did make me laugh though, as she was right, even if it was great Scottish conditions I was extremely unlikely to go up there since I haven’t made it up in about 3 years!
So I handed over the axe, that I am unlikely to use in the next two years let alone two weeks. Winter Walking in Scotland despite being excellent given the right conditions in ultimately a exercise in futility if you live anywhere below Hadrian’s Wall. Where invariably you travel up in the cold snap to arrive in time for the thaw and driving rain.
Anyway I lent the axe on the understanding that I get at least one preferable Travelling Gnome type snap of my Ice Axe’s Holiday.