The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
606.2008.7
Sling with two nuts
04/12/2008
Hermione Cooper
04/12/2008
Orange nylon sling with two nuts.
metal, nylon
1 is 2.4(l) x 1(w) cms. Other is 2.2(l) x 0.8 (w) cms
2
"JOHN HINDE" handwritten on tape. "Z" on the smaller nut.
silver, orange
Natural chockstones - which are stones or boulders already wedged in cracks - have been used in belaying/anchoring for the protection of climbers since the sport began.
Subsequently, climbers carried their own pebbles or 'chocs' which could be inserted into a vacant crack with a rope sling threaded around it.
The next stage (circa 1950) was to file out engineer's nuts (as in nuts and bolts) to remove any rough edges and thread them on a rope sling for use as required. The big advantage was that several different sizes could be carried on one sling.
We've got an excellent example of the system here in the collection: two nuts threaded on an early type sling which we suspect dates from around 1965. The donator, John Hinde, was a long time stalwart of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, and gentleman of the hills.
Donated by John Hinde
04/12/2008
28/04/2009
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
28/04/2009