Around 1965 Scottish mountaineer Hamish MacInnes, creator of the first all-metal ice axe, joined Trevor Peck and Derek Gamble to create their Terrordactyls. These were designed for general mountaineers tackling Scotland's challenging winter climbs. Terrordactyls feature a strongly-drooped picks that penetrate and hold in firm snow, white ice, frozen turf, and general crud. They are lighter than other axes of their time, and proved to be nearly indestructible. They allowed moving fast and safely on steep climbs. Climbers would sometimes attach étriers to the lower holes for improvised aid climbing on steep ice. Terrordactyls led a major revolution in technical ice climbing equipment development, securing legendary status in climbing history.

Ice Axes

↑ 397: MacInnes-Peck Terrordactyl

• Made in Scotland [ca. 1968].
• 395x200 mm.
• Weight: 670 g.
• Aluminum Shaft with Fiberglass Grip.
• Shaft: 35x20 mm. (Grip: 37x23 mm.)
• Fixed Head.
• Drooped adze with a straight edge and a strong arch.
• Adze: 80(l)x73(w)x7(arch) mm.
• Angled hard ice pick with a neutral-clearance chisel tip and with 8 ventral teeth.
• Pick: 110(l)x28(h)x3(t) mm.
• Round spike.
• Spike: 35(l)x11(d) mm.
• A very early specialized ice tool with a superb name.
• The drooped pick on mine was filed to a rounded neutral clearance.
• My Terrordactyl axe and hammer have different pick designs. I think this is the later version
• Invented and manufactured by Hammish MacInnes of Scotland.