In 1973 my college buddy Marc Dilley and I went on a famous mountaineering trip in the North Cascades of Washington, near the Canadian border. It is called the Ptarmigan Traverse. It starts at Cascade Pass, which is reached by one of the most spectacular hikes imaginable, spectacular because you are surrounded by incredible peaks [...]
Outdoor Gear, Patents, and Outdoor Trips by Bob Shaver, Patent Attorney
Category Archives: Mountaineering
Petzl Snow Scopic Ice Axe
Ice axes started out in the 19th century being long staffs with a point at one end, and were called alpenstocks. By the 1970s the typical mountaineering ice axe was much shorter, but was still long enough to be used as a walking aid, especially on sidehills. In the 1980s and 90, ice axes got [...]
The Invention of Crampons
Crampons in some form have been around for many centuries. A page on the history of crampons by Grivel shows one type of crampon carved on the Arch of Constantine of Rome, built in 315 AD. Crampon design took a major step forward in at the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time purists [...]
Eddie Bauer Down Coat
One evening in 1935 outdoorsman Eddie Bauer almost froze to death in his soaking wet wool coat. Inspired by that incident, he designed a garment like a down sleeping bag, except that you wore it. Eddie Bauer’s coat of 1940 was the first down garment to be manufactured, and Bauer got a design patent on [...]
Ice Axe, 1930
Here is a nifty ice axe of 1930. The shaft comes apart to reveal a big knife.
Ski Pole Flask
Here is a handy flask for small quantities of refreshments, such as liquor: a ski pole flask. After skiing for a while, you pop the top off a ski pole and have some warming rum, Gran Marnier, Schnaps, etc. It would have to be alcohol based, because anything water based would freeze.
Ice Axe Length
“General” Mountaineering Not Well Served By Modern Ice Axes. Ergomomic Analysis by a New Zealand climber provides evidence of a wrong turning in technical change. Brian Wilkins, a mountaineer from New Zealand, has some thoughts about the history of climbing equipment, and especially ice axe length. Old timers may remember when ice axes were about [...]