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Tamara Robbins
climber
not a climber, just related...
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 14, 2015 - 04:38pm PT
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I'm looking for any photos or recollections about the belay seat (or the hammock) that my mom (Liz Robbins) designed and handmade in the early 70's.... thanks for any replies!!
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Apr 14, 2015 - 05:14pm PT
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Hi Tamara!!
It's so good to see you back here!
I hope someone posts up with what you're after.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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Apr 14, 2015 - 05:32pm PT
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Tamara: Hopefully someone here can respond with a story & hopefully the real thing.
Unfortunately I have no memories of a Robbins belay seat.
If one shows up, it and the story should also be cross posted to the wonderful:
Royal Robbins/Mountain Paraphernalia history thread.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1022257&msg=1022257
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F10
Trad climber
Bishop
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Apr 14, 2015 - 05:39pm PT
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Trying to find some photos. Usually when I used a Robbins Belay seat it wasn't the best place to take a photo.
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
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Apr 14, 2015 - 06:23pm PT
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We took a couple of these items on our expedition to humble the Bugs in '70.
Jeff and I hold the Robbins Belay Seat in high esteem.
They were red ripstop nylon and the webbing was super-light-weight--they were no more than a handkerchief and we carried them in our trouser pockets.
Benighted on top of Bugaboo Spire, Jeff had no hat, but he kept his head and remembered the belay seat.
He tied it under his chin using the loops so it made the strangest-looking bonnet!
It served to keep his a bit warmer.
I think he spent more time wearing it this way than he did parking his skinny butt in it at sling belays.
edit: Thanks to T Hocking, let me simply say the particular butt bag Jeff used is held in high esteem, regardless of the brand. But I got the thing from TNF at the Telly store; and Chouinard had refused to sell to them any longer at that point, so I figured it must be a Robbins product.
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 14, 2015 - 07:13pm PT
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Tamara- As I understand the history Liz sewed the first all-fabric belay seat and the two point hammock (which was simply a larger version of the same basic design) for Royal's solo second ascent of the West Face of the Leaning Tower in May of 1963.
I have a Tom Frost photo from the second ascent of the Dihedral Wall on El Capitan of Royal using the hammock and I will scan it and post shortly. This ascent in 1964 was the first time a party of two climbed El Cap in a push from the ground without fixing ropes using the "Yosemite method" of cleaning and hauling with Jumars that your dad developed. Being able to stop and bivy anywhere on the ledge scarce Dihedral Wall was a huge help.
Yvon was never one to let a good product sit idle. Tom borrowed the European net hammock shown in the photo above from Yvon for the occasion so Liz must not have made very many initially.
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
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Apr 14, 2015 - 07:13pm PT
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Tamara, Here is a pic of your dad sitting in one from the 1972 Chouinard Catalog.
Here's a link for the catalog. http://climbaz.com/chouinard72/chouinard.html
PS Your dad is an amazing human being and an inspiration.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:08pm PT
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Looks like my old Buttermilk Mountain Works belay seat. BMW probably copied the RR seat after RR stopped selling them.
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:24pm PT
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I have an old BMW butt bag, it has a cool pocket that you stuff the whole works into. Cool rainbow tag...
I last used this in EPC, great for hanging belays on multi-pitch routes, I wonder why nobody makes then anymore.
What was the make of the one that had three straps instead of two, Diamond-C?
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:32pm PT
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I wonder why nobody makes then anymore.
^^^^^+1
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:34pm PT
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Peter Haan
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:54pm PT
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Common practice for awhile was to follow and clean a pitch with the belay seat as your main support off the jumars or earlier, Prussiks.
The two-point hammock: slept in it on the Salathe headwall, slung from single point half way up. Fully epic. Back in the day.
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Batrock
Trad climber
Burbank
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:57pm PT
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Peter,
I could not imagine sleeping in a single point hammock. You guys were hardcore.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Apr 14, 2015 - 08:57pm PT
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If you're looking for photos, try getting in touch with Tom Frost.
Steve G said he'd post a scan of one of Tom's photos, but there must be dozens of others in Tom's files.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Apr 14, 2015 - 09:10pm PT
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Here is Warren Harding's Belay seat.
Well used.
Edit: Working on orientation.
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rick sumner
Trad climber
reno, nevada/ wasilla alaska
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Apr 14, 2015 - 09:23pm PT
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If any one has a rip stop nylon butt bag in good condition they are willing to part with please pm me . Name your price, if its at all fair i'll buy it.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Apr 14, 2015 - 09:23pm PT
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I had one, years ago.
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Darwin
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Apr 14, 2015 - 09:36pm PT
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Here's the tag on the one that I have. It's not obvious, but it is ripstop. So ... I guess I can retire?
w.r.t. color correction: it's more orange-red and less pure magenta.
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