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Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
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Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 16, 2009 - 03:35pm PT
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Finally! I have an answer to questions on origin of the name MOAC. Since it only took 1 ½ years------I’ll put it in a new thread.
In The Old Mystery Pro thread the questions below got asked.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=527817&tn=20
From DR 4/18/2008 Your first photos won't open here, for some reason. But since Malcolm nailed one piece as a MOAC, I gotta chime in.
I've had a MOAC on my rack since 1967. Quite simply the best piece ever. The rounded shape comes from being sandcast, which gives it a "human-feel" esthetic. Heard once what the word meant, but to me it's always stood for "Most Obvious Artificial Chockstone." I get a tad ritualistic about it, feeling like a climb isn't truly protected until I have begun placing it.
And From Chiloe
Does MOAC stand for something? Don't think I ever knew the answer.
The answer is:
This last weekend I was looking for something else in my collection of old Mountain Magazines.
In Mountain 42, March 1975: I found the below ad. MOAC’s were made by MOuntain ACtivities Limited.
They have ads in many issue of Mountain magazine, but it took a while for the name to sink in.
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Howie
Trad climber
Calgary, Alberta
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Nov 16, 2009 - 04:05pm PT
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Fritz, I believe this was answered in other postings here with regards to MOAC's but here is a bit more history.
I used to haunt Ellis Brigham's retail shop in Manchester and came to know Ellis Brigham quite well. Mountain Activities were the wholesale outlet for Ellis Brigham.
As well as the original MOAC there were various attempts to produce a baby MOAC which were marketed for a while but never had the same success as the original MOAC we all know and love. EB (not of rock shoe fame)had some early issues with casting the baby MOAC onto wire and having trouble with the alloy. I recall one such case where someone had taken a fall in North Wales on a wired, cast baby MOAC and the chock had just deformed into the shape of the crack. It produced a very odd shape! Ellis decided that after this they should take a re look at the alloy they were using!
I climb with no less then two original MOAC's and two home made larger ones, suitable drilled for lightness. I generally manage to place at least one of these on every route I lead and placed these over and over again in Joshua Tree this fall. The cracks there just seemed to eat these up.
It does not surprise me that I can convert people to using the MOAC's if I can get them to rack these seemingley old school hunks of aluminium.
At present my stock is down to about half a dozen spares. I had one become stuck this summer on a route called Bonanza in the Ghost. If anyone is interested in retrieval the chock is yours!
Howard.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 16, 2009 - 09:22pm PT
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Here are a couple of MOAC nuts.
On a wire compared to a #6 and #6 1/2 Stopper.
The classic MOAC nut ad from Mountain 22. Why only one size was ever made available I would love to know. Sans the rounded edges the Forrest Foxhead had about the same taper.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 21, 2009 - 07:52pm PT
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One size fits all bump!
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France.
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Nov 23, 2009 - 03:31am PT
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Bonjour Steve,
I am delighted to share the “MOAC Museum” with you:
 1 prototype MOAC, one of the six original pyramids, belonged to John Brailsford’s partner, Doug Cook, and given by John Fisher.
1 MOAC Original Chock, given by John Brailsford.
1 filed MOAC, given by Don Roscoe.
2 Baby MOAC's on wire, given by Denny Moorhouse and John knifton.
4 MOAC Original Chocks, first (2) & second (2) generation, given by Gary Storrick. Unfortunately, the MOAC Original Chock on wire is missing…
2 MOAC's on wire #1 #2 (#3 and #4 are missing).
2 MOAC's #2 #4 (#1 and #3 are missing).
Stephane / Nuts Museum
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 23, 2009 - 09:03am PT
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Loved my MOACs and have no idea why or where I got rid of them. Maybe they'll turn up in a dusty bin somewhere. Tom Frost gave me a set of his Sentinel nuts a few years ago and they are very similar to the MOAC shape. I did love the slung versions though. Tom... You listening?
Mal
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Jingy
Social climber
Flatland, Ca
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Nov 23, 2009 - 10:45am PT
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for fear of sounding off....
I'll say "Nice collection of old climbing gear!"
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 23, 2009 - 12:59pm PT
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Unfortunately, Tom doesn't lurk on the ST but he loves every bit of praise about his designs so write him a letter if you dig his work. I carry his Sentinel Nuts on the original wires. DR like yourself finds the slung versions more to his liking and had Tom drill out a set for him custom.
Stephane- Thanks for sharing your wonderful collection.
How many different sizes do you see in the box shown above in the advertisement? On first glance, I only saw one size but your post makes me see as many as three though they are almost identical in size. Most climbers that I know carried only the one big cast version with the most radical taper and not on a wire.
Lastly, the history. Was MOAC a one person enterprise or a team effort? When did they start and stop selling hardware commercially?
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karabin museum
Trad climber
phoenix, az
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Nov 23, 2009 - 10:06pm PT
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Nice MOAC collection Stephane! This just means that I will be jealous for the holidays! For history sake, history from Stephane: Nut MOAC was created by John Brailsford (blacksmith from Sheffield, England). The name MOAC derives from a climbing equipment import company owned by Ellis Brigham named MOuntain ACtivities Limited.
Did somebody say MOAC?
My Baby MOAC is still out on display.
MOAC late 1960s
MOAC early 1970s
Rock on! Marty
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Nov 23, 2009 - 10:12pm PT
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I would have carried those pups!
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Wil
Mountain climber
Denver, CO
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John Brailsford the blacksmith who first created the MOAC went on to be a college professor / lecturer & French Alpine Guide. I was lucky enough to attend his course and it really was the making of me. Somewhat garrulous in nature he hid a deep affection of his students. I know that any of you who mangage to track him down and e-mail him would totally make his day.
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France.
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Bonjour Wil!
I have just contacted John Brailsford and forwarded him the link to this thread. I am pleased to post a photograph of the Father of the Acorn and the MOAC.
Stephane / Nuts Museum
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nutstory
climber
Ajaccio, Corsica, France.
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Dec 10, 2009 - 09:50am PT
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I received the following email from the “Old Testament”; John Brailsford sometimes uses this nickname for him when we correspond.
Re-Bonjour Stephane,
Merci pour la totalité de l'article/revue.
I'm surprised by the interest shown and also very touched that you should keep following things.
I'm most pleased that you answer the regular question of "Why one size?"
As you well know the "one size" was only such if the owner/user did not possess the skill to modify…
Thus, the size was infinite and to the user's measure. I only ever used three MOACs per pitch/longueur [pitch in French] and felt safe with such.
In more recent times climbers seem to stitch themselves to the rock, possibly the fault of relying too much on bolts every 2 or 3 metres.
As an alpinist, WEIGHT was a serious criterion since we had bivouac gear, food, BIG BOOTS, hawser laid ropes, and ONLY 2 or 3 pegs (just in case), and heavier clothing - ever cut your toothbrush in two halves?
I believe that very few of us actually relied 100% for belays on MOACs; Lyn [Noble] & I did a new route in Chamonix on which one, free climbed pitch, involved 4 hanging, MOAC secured, stances. At the time this was a bit 'way out'. How things change! In a sense our experience of 'artif' [aid climbing] widened our ideas, leading logically to the advance in free climbing and the 'free & clean' philosophy.
Anyway, nice to be in contact again, let me know what transpires (if anything).
'Bye for now. John [Brailsford].
PS: The Brigham’s "Baby moac" was a dead loss and did not have my support.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 10, 2009 - 08:53pm PT
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Three cheers for John!!!
Your design was the stepping stone for all of nutcraft in so many ways. When a MOAC went in you knew it wasn't going to let you down. Faith in that nut was everything when learning to relax and focus on climbing away from passive protection. Robbins articulated so well the huge shift in mindset required to trust nuts and yourself once the hammer was left behind. Thanks for opening up the door, John!
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squishy
Mountain climber
sacramento
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Dec 10, 2009 - 10:11pm PT
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Why are these not copied, and were can I buy one?
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Dec 10, 2009 - 11:10pm PT
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They just look like nuts to me. I'm sure I'm missing something, though.
Arne
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Wayno
Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
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Dec 11, 2009 - 01:31am PT
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Way-Cool history thread bump. BUMP.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jan 28, 2010 - 02:11am PT
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Bump cuz the MOAC has been risen!
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paulfordski
Mountain climber
Hereford, UK
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Hi Guys,
Still absolutely love my MOACs. I have three, purchased in the early 80s and used reliably for a number of years until kids came along and my carefree climbing life was bundled up into an old Salomon holdall in the attic waiting for That Day sometime in the future.
Can't tell you how happy I was to get back into climbing and mountaineering again last year and what a change technology, engineering and manufacturing processes have made to all things climbing. I'm happy to report that the MOACs have survived my rather severe gear replacement programme, and although I was fond of my old gear I wasn't THAT sentimental about it. So wedges, camming devices, harness, helmet, slings, belay devices, ropes, crabs, etc. have all been replaced over this last year or so.
But the trusty MOACs? No, they had to stay. Call me old fashioned if you like but I really don't see them as old school bits of kit; they're timeless, you just know that they're bomb-proof in so many placements.
That said I have brought them up to date, replacing the rope slings by threading a 90cm Wild Country Dyneema sling through the head with a wire-gate crab on the other end, held in place with a quickdraw retainer. The 90cm sling halved by threading gives plenty of flex, often without having to add a quickdraw. And while 45cm is a little long to have pro dangling around your legs, pulling the sling through the MOAC head and clipping the loop into the crab keeps it nice and tidy.
Go MOACs! [photoid=417570]
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Stewart
Trad climber
Courtenay, B.C.
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I had a MOAC once upon a time, and I have no way of explaining why but I loved the thing.
It mysteriously disappeared, so I imagine someone else also cherished it.
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