| "In
1946 boots would have been constructed of solid leather with the
soles liberally encrusted with triple hobs, tricounis and clinkers.
How often have I wished for such boots, particularly on iced-up
Landrover tracks, where Vibram soles encourage one to do a fair
impression of Torvil and Dean. I wonder how many accidents have
been caused because folk can't be bothered to take the crampons
out of the rucksack; and how many might have been prevented had
nailed boots been worn.
And
as for the incompetent getting into tricky situations, well that
happens no matter what equipment they use. You've only to look
at the example of the motor industry where tyres, ABS, seat belts,
etc. give incompetent drivers a totally unjustified sense of security.
Hopefully the average mountaineer is not so easily duped as the
average motorist."
Kenneth
Tonge, Aberdeen - The
Mountaineering Council of Scotland Newsletter
|
