This photo must have been taken when Dick and I were about 16 or 17.
It's on an easy climb somewhere in Borrowdale. I discovered the photo
(taken with Dick's Kodak Pocket Instamatic), two days ago whilst visiting my father,
The photo is Dick leading. Unfortunately my thumb is half over the lens!
I think there is another photo from the same time of us
on Ardus at SHepherd's Crag. Perhaps it will turn up
sometime.
Note the "equipment" or lack of.
- EBs. They were pretty much the only rock boots available at the
time and they weren't sticky rubber. Mine absolutely
killed my toes!
- Woollen breeches. There was only the one brand of "trousers"
that you could buy. (I actually bought a pair of "Rohan Super
Striders" when they first came out - they were quite something back in thse days).
- Single 11mm rope - not particularly dynamic!
- The "Super Blue" self-tied sling withe spare ends secured with yellow
sticky tape!
- Budget "Camp" karabiner... on the first piece of gear.
- No cams... they hadn't been invented.
- No helmet... they were really quite exotic back then.
- Wool/nylon "loopstitch" socks. The only other type were
so-called Norwegian Rag Wool Socks.
- No gear on wire
- No quick draws
- Absolutely no chalk...
By todays standards we were quite under-dressed!