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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 16, 2008 - 02:15am PT
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I was recently given some 1960s era climbing equipment, by a friend's family. Some of it may be of interest to the proposed Yosemite Climbing Museum. Here are some photos:
3/8" Goldline rope, two hanks - probably about 50 metres total. (Ken mentioned he was looking for some.)
Aluminum bongs - they range in width from 5.7" to 5.3" to 3.5". The two larger ones are LONGWARE (LONG spelled in larger letters than WARE), the smaller one with rounded corners a Chouinard.
These are the biggest (climbing) bongs I've ever seen, and would be awfully handy if needed. They wouldn't quite fit the monster offwidth, though. :-(
Perhaps, like lepers in the middle ages, SuperTopo miscreants could be made to wear (metaphorical) bongs around their necks, clanging and clinking to warn others that they're approaching. :-)
Steel bongs - they range in width from 3.5" to 3" to 2.5". The wide and narrow ones are marked LONGWARE, the medium one has no apparent markings. Oddly, the wider one isn't riveted.
A wooden wedge, about 20 cm long, 7 cm (at thickest) and 3.5 cm (at thinnest). (I suppose it may also be useable as a plug.)
Hammer, with logo indistinctly stamped on the head - I have to clean it with a wire brush, then look at it with a magnifying glass. I suspect its provenance is European.
The friends were happy to hear that these things might end up in a climbing museum in Yosemite - the owner had climbed there. There are some other odds and ends, but that's enough photos for now.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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May 16, 2008 - 02:32am PT
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that's cool. thx for sharing.
those AL bongs are the biggest I've ever seen! HUGE!!
(not that I've seen a lot)
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L
climber
Ocean of dreams....
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May 16, 2008 - 12:24pm PT
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I'll give ya a bump, MH.
You guys actually carried stuff like that while you climbed? Kind of like hauling a refrigerator up a cliff, huh?
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Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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May 16, 2008 - 12:47pm PT
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Hey now...in the sixties those bongs were DA KINE.
Latest stuff for notching down the terror of OW. They never tightened in nice tho, like a chromoly angle. Always still moved in the hit-em-up-and-down tightness test. Disconcerting. Nobody fell and was held by one, that I recall, so we just kept on uneasily putting them in.
Other drawback was they're so hard to climb around. Right out on the surface of the wide crack, instead of pushed to the inside like a cam. Big contortions and getting even more insecure to climb out of the crack and around them, always afraid you'd touch it on the way by and get a little accidental help.
And then, wide as they were, the crack would grow wider still. Sigh, tighten up, and lead onward.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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May 16, 2008 - 01:16pm PT
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The Goldline is in remarkably good shape.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 16, 2008 - 01:23pm PT
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All the gear has been indoors since 1976. The bongs, wedge, and hammer are probably from the early 1960s, the rope from somewhat later. No way to date the rope now, but there's not much wear on it.
L, it's not my gear - all well before my time. Although there were goldline ropes around when I started climbing - perlon hadn't completely taken over. I remember hearing about fabled things like 6" bongs and such, but never seeing them except in pictures. The biggest commercial ones then were 4", made by SMC and Chouinard, and they were full of holes.
I wonder what treasures sit in other climber's attics, basements and garages, or (worse still) have ended up in the dump?
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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May 16, 2008 - 01:40pm PT
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Hi Anders
That goldline picture reminds me of the one climb I actually used goldline on. Might have been with your brother, I'm not sure. Being way too poor to afford two real (i.e. kernmantel) ropes, I bought some goldline to use as a second rope the first time I tried Uncle Ben's on the Chief. I dont remember all the details, but we spent most of the day fixing the first three pitches and then came down, leaving the good rope on p3, and planninge to rap from top of p2 to the starting ledge on the single goldline.
Ever tried a full-length overhanging rappel on goldline? You wind up spinning around so much you wish you'd brought a full rack of barf bags.
On second thought, since we spent a whole day getting up three pitches, it couldn't have been Peder. Must have been me and another gumby, because Peder actually knew what he was doing. (I did get on it once with him, but we got caught in a big rainstorm and bailed.)
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 16, 2008 - 03:23pm PT
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My brother started climbing in 1976, by which time goldline ropes were pretty uncommon.
Does anyone know when Chouinard (SMC? Longware?) started to drill holes in bongs, to lighten them?
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Slakkey
Trad climber
From a Quiet Place by the Lake
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May 16, 2008 - 03:30pm PT
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Cool Stuff M.H. The 12 pack in the rope pic looks good too. Its only 91 Deg at the moment.
Wow a thread worth responding to.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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May 16, 2008 - 03:32pm PT
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hammer looks like it made Viking steel
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scuffy b
climber
watching the flytrap
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May 16, 2008 - 05:00pm PT
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I haven't seen LONGware bongs with lightening holes, Anders.
Long made some sizes that Chouinard did not market.
I found some 5" LONGware bongs when I was a novice, and a more
experienced friend made me go back to that shop and buy all they
had.
I had always thought that the only 6" option was using something
like a 4" bong endwise.
The missing rivet? Maybe just a quality control oversight.
I also had never seen any LONGware aluminum bongs.
I think you just might be able to convince Ken to do something
with this trove.
Thanks, as always, for the esoterica.
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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May 16, 2008 - 09:03pm PT
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Very cool Anders. Thank you, it will be a nice addition to the collection.
Ken
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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May 16, 2008 - 09:21pm PT
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By the time I got to nailing, the big Longware bongs were long gone, but wide cracks
were still wide. What we did was use a file to taper the front end of our Chouinard aluminum bongs,
so that if necessary they could be hammered lightly in endwise to fit a 6" crack. There would
be a loop of 1/2" or 9/16" webbing tied through the middle lightening holes too, as a
permanent tie-off that worked with the endwise placements.
I had several CMI bongs also, without lightening holes, that I chopped down from 6" to 5"
for those in-between sized cracks. Actually used them that way a fair number of times.
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L
climber
Ocean of dreams....
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May 16, 2008 - 09:34pm PT
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Yep, sure looks like haulin' kitchen appliances up the mountain face to me...:-)
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 16, 2008 - 09:40pm PT
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L, All the better pirates have bongs, and of course wouldn't go anywhere without a fine bit of rope. :-)
Ken, will things donated for the museum be marked, so that there's a record of who donated them, and then when they're exhibited, people can see where they came from?
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Chicken Skinner
Trad climber
Yosemite
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May 16, 2008 - 09:51pm PT
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Anders, We have cataloging software and enter everything we receive. I like to acknowledge people whenever possible.
Ken
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2008 - 02:55am PT
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I'd have thought for sure that those bongs would've elicited some comment from Russ, Ed H, Jaybro and all the other wide fetishists. Or are we to infer that their silence = stunned amazement?
Edit: Shameless self-bump. Surely Todd has a picture of a bong he can post, at least? He's been posting lots of others.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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May 17, 2008 - 05:35am PT
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Jeeez DR, I always associated bongs and da kine more with santa cruz than yosemite.
When Kamps and I did the first ascent of the Left Side of the Hourglass in the early 60s, he used a masterful combination of Long bongs, placed back-to-back,edgewise, with a sling in center both for aid and protection on that wild first pitch. I can't begin to imagine how Haan led the roof and undercling free, years later.
Long was usually running his business out of his garage wherever he was living at the time. It was a small enterprise and sporadic since he was in medical school.
I remember one day when i was working at the Ski Hut in the warehouse. Steck, my boss at that time, brought Lional Terray out back to introduce him to the "boys". I can still visualize him standing there in his blue farmer-john coveralls, no shirt,with a bong in his hands and this wonderful french accent," So, cese are ce famous bong bongs? No?" Still makes me laugh.
cheers
guido
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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May 17, 2008 - 10:26am PT
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Okay, Anders! I swear I've seen 'em, somewhere, Wuz just letting the temporal sponge take it all in, before posting a comment. Still cogitating, frankly...
Doz some righteous bongs!
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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May 17, 2008 - 11:33am PT
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I don't have pictures, but the lucky day I got to climb
with Dave Rearick back in the seventies, he had some of
his chocks made from the wood of osage orange trees.
Fortunately he was leading, so I didn't have to worry
about falling on them--but if he was on the hot end,
I figure they must've been pretty good. Of course, he
was always in such control, I wonder if he ever fell?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2008 - 03:49pm PT
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I vaguely recall that Oli (Pat) has mentioned that he has a few wood-nuts, I think from Rearick, which he used in the 1970s.
The equipment in the photos was given to me by the family of Leif Patterson. The bongs and hammer probably did some famous climbs in the 1960s. I don't when or where Leif acquired them, but he did some climbing in Yosemite in 1963, and may have been living/working in California then. It sounds like LongWare equipment may have had limited and sporadic distribution.
I liked the Terray story. He spent a year in Canada in the late 1940s, teaching skiing in Quebec. There are some funny stories about it in "Conquistadors of the Useless". Getting on the train in Halifax, being told it would get into Quebec City in late afternoon - and not understanding that meant late afternoon the next day. The quaint dialect of French spoken in Quebec - a combination of 18th century Brittany/Normandy dialect, with many Anglicisms. The French have interesting ideas about language, and Terray and friend thought the Quebec dialect ("joual") quite funny. Too bad Terray didn't get out west - he might have stayed here.
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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May 17, 2008 - 04:42pm PT
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I use to boulder regularly with Lief at Indian Rock during that era. He was an exceptional mountaineer and wonderful individual. One of my fav photos of all time is the Rowell shot of Lief standing with his hands raised to the sky, thankful to the gods once again.
cheers
Guido
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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May 17, 2008 - 06:38pm PT
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hey there say.. thanks for the share... and many more blessing, i hope will come to ken's museum!!!!!!!!! way, to go.... :)
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2008 - 06:40pm PT
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Thanks, Guido! The Pattersons were family friends from about 1964 in Vancouver. Much closer to my parent's age than mine, but I was fortunate enough to have done some ski touring and mountaineering with him when I started climbing. An extraordinary man and climber.
I visited Leif's widow Marijke and her second husband in Golden (B.C.) last week, and they gave me the equipment. I said I'd try to find a good home for it, though I may keep one of the bongs as a paperweight. They also gave me his ice axe, which was quite an honour.
Peter Haan posted the story of the first free ascent of the left side of the Hourglass here a few years ago. It's at http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=199688, and VERY well worth reading.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 18, 2008 - 01:08pm PT
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The photo to which Guido refers is this one:
An evocative photo, that first appeared in "In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods". It was taken by Galen Rowell on the 1975 K2 expedition. Leif was celebrating a return to green things after two months amongst the glaciers.
There is a small story to go with it. Galen saw what Leif did, but wasn't fast enough with the camera. So he asked if Leif would do it again, and he eventually agreed, which resulted in the picture. So it may not have been exactly spontaneous.
I understand that the picture has never been licensed for commercial use, although pirate copies have been seen. It has also been imitated.
Bump, so that Guido doesn't miss it. He's fairly new to ST.
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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May 18, 2008 - 01:11pm PT
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ya dat's a good photo
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2008 - 04:23pm PT
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A bump for Guido aka Joe. As he was climbing in Yosemite in 1962, he perhaps should have a welcome thread of his own. There are few if any SuperTopians who were climbing before then. Oli, perhaps?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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May 20, 2008 - 04:50pm PT
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I'd be interested in acquiring one of those LongWare bongs. If there is no direct application for them to go to the Yosemite museum, I'd consider making a cash donation to the museum as a swap. Just an offer.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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May 20, 2008 - 05:18pm PT
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Udurkas, a small patch of grass on the way up the Baltoro. Good bouldering there and a great view of the Trangos...
I bet all those bongs together are lighter than a #6 Friend!
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scuffy b
climber
watching the flytrap
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May 20, 2008 - 05:23pm PT
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The LONGware bongs were about half as thick as Chouinard steel
bongs. Way light. Walking a 6" bong would be a challenge.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - May 20, 2008 - 06:02pm PT
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The biggest LongWare aluminium bong is almost a square - 15 cm thick, and only 12.5 cm deep. It also doesn't taper much - at the other end, it's 13.5 cm wide.
I guess they were much better than nothing, but placing them well must have been a challenge.
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Les23
climber
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Nov 14, 2008 - 07:01pm PT
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I have some Longware bongs, Aluminum from 6", Steel from 4.5".
Also some crackjacks, both the original design made from a turnbuckle, and the later design made of aluminum.
??????????????
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Apr 20, 2012 - 10:40pm PT
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here is more stuff, but some of it will go into projects... some to the Museum
the two Lost Arrows and the Bugaboo are still useful for various "hush-hush" activities, even though they are vintage 1970s Chouinard Equipment originals... The bongs, the angle and the Leeper Zee are good to go into the museum... all are similar vintage... the steel 4" bong is LONGware
and my Stubai hammer from that same period too
and a pair of RR's too...
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