Icy slopes and steep mountain valleys. Fierce, whistling winds and smotheringly heavy snow. Pitch black caves with slimy walls and dripping stalactites. If you don’t run away screaming at the image of these things, you must have an adventurous streak. Exploration is the pinnacle of human curiosity. We want to have seen every corner of the Earth, of the universe! We want to scale mountains and sweep the depths of the sea. We want to hop across the tree tops and ramble through rainforest floors. Luckily there are a fair few things to help us along the way. If you have the blood of a mountaineer or a caver in you, chances are you’re going to need some climbing holds, the right footwear or harnesses to ensure you don’t plummet to your untimely death. Crampons, ice axes, ropes and cords. Make sure you know exactly what you’re doing first, of course. Even with all of this equipment, without the right level of expertise, you could end up getting very seriously hurt and that’s the last thing we want. We recommend you take a look for some DVDs on the subject, or better yet, get an instructor to show you exactly what to do. If you already know, then good for you! Get out there and explore.