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Rhodo-Router
Trad climber
Otto, NC
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 24, 2006 - 02:33pm PT
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As long as we've got the old dads chiming in, let's hear some stories about this masterpiece of engineering!
(me, I have none. 1st harness was a plaid fleece & seatbelt-webbing Misty job, totally without uphill-both-ways value)
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Feb 24, 2006 - 02:37pm PT
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There's something nasty in the woodshed. Or at least there was if you took a jolting whipper on one. Ouch! indeed. Wore one once on one diving lead. Definitely more for rolling down glaciers...
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ladd
Trad climber
land of fruits, nuts and flakes
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Feb 24, 2006 - 02:55pm PT
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LOL, I still have my old Whillans - white with purple. That harness was such a motivator to just not fall ;) ... I liked having the built in straping to afix and carry a leather hammer holtster on the side. As a result of just a Whillans, most of my climbing falls have mostly been whilst bouldering - thought no mats was another motivator.
cheers
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G_Gnome
Gym climber
The Big City
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Feb 24, 2006 - 03:16pm PT
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Seemed that only aid climbers wore them in SoCal. We had 2" webbing, why would we need a harness?
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golsen
Social climber
kennewick, wa
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Feb 24, 2006 - 03:23pm PT
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Back in the day I was belaying my partner on a kind of runout slab route in LCC, UT. He took about a 25 foot rolling slider.
BR, "AHHH, UHHHHHH, F&&&".
me with concerned voice, "Did you hit your head?"
BR, "This f&&&ing harness!"
Took me a little while to replace it with a leg loops setup but it certainly leant credence to "The leader must not fall".
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HandCrack
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal.
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Feb 24, 2006 - 05:46pm PT
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My friend and I used to refer to his Whillans harness as "the gelding."
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Apocalypsenow
Trad climber
Cali
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Feb 24, 2006 - 05:53pm PT
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Good one. I have seen that evil harness, never been in one. Could you even lean back, at a belay station, without experiencing extreme pain?
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CAMNOTCLIMB
Trad climber
novato ca
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Feb 24, 2006 - 06:04pm PT
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I had a Whillans for a short time. It was my first harness. I even stitched on some
gear loops. Not fun for hanging, falling or anything else. Soon went to a REI junk
harness and then a swammie and leg loop combo
Brian
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LOWERme
Trad climber
Santa Fe N.M.
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Feb 24, 2006 - 06:17pm PT
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Bought it in 84. Liked it for walls. I believe it was the only harness available with gear loops. Still wear it now and then, (last weekend). Easy to get in and out of.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Feb 24, 2006 - 09:49pm PT
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The McMaster University Caving and Climbing Club had one in the late 70's. None of the guys would wear the thing, so Pam Burns scarfed it as her own.
Ah, yes ..... I can still see her suntanned calves edging on those small face holds. One of the hardest-core cavers I ever caved with.
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todd-gordon
climber
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:13pm PT
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I slipped off a greasy mantel at Suicide on Serpentine (5.9), while I was staring at a bolt... took a long one 30-40' slide on my Whillians harness (1977).....the rope went tight, the Whillians snapped (sounded like a beaver's tail hittin' water... you could hear it a mile awhile....), the gym bag, unfortunately, was NOT off to one side, and my balls felt "like a pair of marachas...."....
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:15pm PT
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I wore out at least two of those things.
"Check it out, it's a SIT harness. You can climb Devil's Tower, even el Cap, without a Belay seat!" -eventually the belay seat found it's way back into our pockets.
In '77 I lost my Dolt™ chalk bag into the bowls of Mainstreet when a gear loop broke. Didn't rack on gear loops for another decade, and then only on sport climbs.
Apoc- No. But they did have the advantage that they wouldn't suffocate you like 2" swamis and tied 'Swiss seats,' were said to do. - I never actually passed out, but came close a couple of times, I thought.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:17pm PT
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jesus todd, you fell off serpantine as late as '77??
don't spread that around babe, you've got serious street cred to protect....
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BASE104
climber
An Oil Field
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:18pm PT
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I think you could get the Forrest sewn swami/legloop combo by 1981 or so. I used one for aid, before that there was just the uber-cool three or so wraps of silky wide webbing type swami. Believe it or not, I hated sewn things when they came out. A good knot is going to hold for sure....but these stitches...I dunno...kinda weird, man.
I did a wall around then with a guy who swore by his Whillans harness. Looked to me like an easy way to be holding your left and right balls in your left and right hands. If you had three you could juggle.
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bvb
Social climber
flagstaff arizona
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:21pm PT
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three climbers, three whillan's harnesses. it's a wonder we all still got sac.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Feb 24, 2006 - 10:50pm PT
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I climbed in one for years. Took my second 50 footer in it. Loved the damn thing although you had to make sure that your jewels were out of the way when you'd sit back to hang or rappel. Never ever got caught up in it during a fall. BTW,
I had my kids after years of climbing in it.
Mal
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Feb 24, 2006 - 11:02pm PT
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so at one time i wore a 1" swami, then the 2" red. then i was so stoked, i got a williams.used it for over 10 years. i think more.i remember it kicking around my storage locker. So what was the question?
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Wonder
climber
WA
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Feb 24, 2006 - 11:06pm PT
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PS please name those guys. i remembr the pic, but not the names. please help the little grey cells. i had hair like that once.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Feb 24, 2006 - 11:33pm PT
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10 meter fall, Curving Vine 4th ascent, July 1974
Quickly went out and bought a Robertson. No wish to sing in the boys choir.
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Tarbuster
climber
right here, right now
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Feb 24, 2006 - 11:39pm PT
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hmmm,
just stumbled over from the gramicci pants thing...
the whillans?
jean paul gautier would've been be so, so proud.
sadly, the fifth element, (jpg & luc besson's sci fi piece) was 25 years late.
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