Objects Database

Spider Cam & Metolius TCU Cam

Accession Number

1332.2016.1a-b

Object Name

Spider Cam & Metolius TCU Cam

Created

07/07/2016

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

07/07/2016

Brief Description

a- Spider Camming device
b - Metolius TCU camming device

Materials

Aluminium, plastic, copper

Dimensions

a & b - 15(l) X 5.5(w) cms

Number Of Objects

2

Inscription Description

a - " ABC 4"
b - " METOLIUS TCU 2" and initials "CF"

Colour

a- silver, red. b- silver, blue

Maker

Spider, Metolius

Object Production Place

Korea, USA

Provenance

The barely discernible ABC on one of these cams stands for Advanced Base Camp, an American based company who were keen to compete in the market for camming devices in the 1980's. They got this particular type of cam made in Korea and marketed them as Spider Cams, the first one appearing in 1989.
Metolius is another US based company which began life back in the 1980's when a guy called Doug Phillips started making climbing gear and decided to name his company after the nearby Metolius River. Another American, Ray Jardine, had invented the revolutionary 'Friend' in the 1970's and everyone was trying to capitalize on the cam revolution without falling foul of Jardine's patent.
The Metolius version was the Three Cam Unit (TCU) which became quite popular with American climbers. The one we have here in our collection seems to be an early version and along with the Spider Cam, once belonged to Charlie Fowler - his initials are on the Metolius Cam.
Charlie was a friend of our founder member, Mick Tighe, and the photo opposite shows Charlie on a trip to the Island of Mingulay with Mick in 1997. Sadly, Charlie died on a mountaineering trip to China in 2006.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Mick Tighe

Acquisition Date

07/07/2016

Condition Check Date

07/07/2016

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

07/07/2016

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