"A BRIEF HISTORY OF ICE Shepherds and Englishmen
The first real evidence of ice climbing comes from the sixteenth century. Alpine shepherds attached spiked horseshoe devices to thier feet, and these, along with iron-tipped alpenstocks, allowed them to negotiate the slippery ice on steep slopes they crossed while controlling thier flocks in high Alpine valleys. The same sheaperds certianly challenged medieval superstitions that held there were demons on summits and the glaciers were dragons." Ice World: Techniques and Experiences of Modern Ice Climbing Jeff Lowe (Author)
Here in the northeast one of the few places to search for snow dragons in November is high up on Mount Washington just below the summit cone lays the classic headwall of Huntington Ravine. Off tomorrow for a quest of our prey I hope we are not too disappointed.
