The tools of the modern alpinist have changed so much over the past 40 years that many are unrecognizable when compared with the objects that they evolved from. Waffled polyester has replaced wool, bent shaft carbon fiber ice tools are used in the stead of steel axes, and colorful camming devices are placed gently into granite cracks where the scars from hammered metal wedges still linger.
But there is one ingredient to a successful ascent that is more important than any specialized tool: an idea. The idea that the physical exhaustion, psychological turmoil and inherent risk encountered on an ascent are worth overcoming. The idea that the experience has intrinsic value.