Cost and Worth

Topping out today made me feel absolutely brilliant, there wasn't a breath of wind or a cloud in the sky. From the Ben the view stretched to the the Isle of Skye, Rum and way over Rannoch Moor to Schiehallion. Taking in the scenery and the sense of accomplishment after some hard graft on a perfect day felt great.

Although this morning I was up at 5.20am to be ready for 6. To realise that I needed to go back to the house and wasn't able to start the walk in until nearer 7. After the walk in Craig and I were standing at the bottom of Hadrian's Wall Direct (V,5***), a 300m metre climb that starts with a fifty metres of sustained vertical ice. The difficulty in the first pitch however travelling all the way up the face of the Ben makes the route feel like an adventurous day out. After topping out into most beautiful views Scotland has to offer it makes all the bad days worth every bit of misery.

Plenty of teams on the point with Hadrians on the left

On the third pitch

On the final pitch

After climbing the route I broke it down by the numbers. I have four good ice screws and one that was given to me which doesn't place that well and I rarely use unless I am in a very comfortable position to place it. Craig added 4 more good ones 3 of which he borrowed, this gave us a grand total of 9. The guide description told me that I could minus 2 for the belay at the top and one poor screw for the first belay left me with 5 good screws for fifty metres of climbing. That left me with an average of one screw every ten metres which meant that if I fell at the wrong time I would be falling a minimum of 20 metres if the screws held (the right time to fall would be right after I placed a screw). 

If had more protection and I took the time to place more protection. Would that increase the risk of me getting tired and actually falling? Having been successful on the ascent this shouldn't matter however could not being able to afford the £50 for an ice screw make a person take unnecessary risk?
I suppose this is taken into account before attempting the route but the increasing cost of clothing makes me think what I'm actually getting for my money, after forking out over £700 for a set of Haglofs salopettes, gloves and a jacket which hasn't lasted a  full season. My boots which I got for a steal over six years ago, never really fitted properly, but to replace them will cost £420. Furthermore my ropes which I probably should retire soon look like they will cost over another £200, if I'm lucky. That doesn't include all the other pieces of equipment I have gathered over the years makes me think what it is really worth?