The Whillans Harness

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Messages 41 - 58 of total 58 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
Watusi

Social climber
Newport, OR
Jan 14, 2008 - 04:25am PT
Arghhhh!! The Ol' Testiculator!!!
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Jan 14, 2008 - 11:16am PT
The funny thing about the Whillans harness is that it was developed for jugging with large loads and lots of clothing in an expedition setting. Never really designed for rockwork but so few outfits were sewing any harnesses that Chouinard brought them in for general consumption. I can only think of about a half dozen harnesses in the world at that time when swami belts and 2" Colorado rib ticklers. Does give you that classic gentleman stone jockey look though with some nice courduroy knickers!

rgold

Trad climber
Poughkeepsie, NY
Jan 14, 2008 - 11:27am PT
Cannon Mountain, 80's.

climblight

Mountain climber
Northern NV
Jan 14, 2008 - 11:52am PT
I confess to still using my Whillans. But only for hanging extra weight off me during a workout.
Phil_B

Social climber
Hercules, CA
Jan 14, 2008 - 01:35pm PT
Oh man, I think I had one of them things way back when. It was more comfortable than my 1" webbing "harness" though. I soon upgraded to one with leg loops and a padded waist though.

Luckily, I never encountered the dreaded pinch. I did have the unpleasant experience of catching a big fall using a hip belay with no shirt on though. Nothing like a rope burn on your waist to keep focused, eh?
TrundleBum

Trad climber
Las Vegas
Jan 14, 2008 - 01:43pm PT
I gave mine away to Deb Slevin in the early 80's.
Certainly haven't missed it.

I bought mine with a load of used gear when I first started climbing in the 70's.
It spent most of it's life with me in a box along side a coil of Goldline (just as useless).

I gave mine away to Deb Slevin in the early 80's.
Certainly haven't missed it.
erich volkstorf

Trad climber
seattle
Jan 15, 2008 - 01:35pm PT
The funny thing about the GPIW photo posted above, the harness is tied in differently than you were supposed to with the Troll Whillans Harness. NEVER, tie in to the crotch strap. The loop there was for a 'biner and the rope went through it to be tied at the waist belt.
maldaly

Trad climber
Boulder, CO
Jan 15, 2008 - 02:13pm PT
Erich,
Sharp eyes, man. Look closely and you'll see that that one doesn't have the tie-in loops either.

WTF?

Mal
scuffy b

climber
Stump with a backrest
Jan 15, 2008 - 02:19pm PT
The guy also has his 5 and 6 hexes strung with the same color
cord.

WTF?







just kidding
Mighty Hiker

Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jan 15, 2008 - 03:59pm PT
Did anyone else sew a harness from 2" seatbelt webbing in the early to mid 1970s? I remember doing it once, I think based on a diagram in Freedom of the Hills. Not sure whether the stitching would have stood up to much, but sure used a lot of heavy thread.

The model was based on a kind that you could tie, using 1" tubular webbing. Both sit harness and chest harness.
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Sep 24, 2011 - 11:01pm PT
If ever a thread deserved a bump....

Btw, that photo of Watusi upthread is Mike on the second ascent of Rectum Roof, a very early hardman route in sandy eggo.
michael hayes

Trad climber
san francisco, ca.
Sep 25, 2011 - 01:09am PT
Mine is hanging above the desk on display at Mission Cliffs in San Francisco. Wearing that thing was motivation not to fall if you are male.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Sep 25, 2011 - 01:14am PT
Fully accessorized...
Largo

Sport climber
The Big Wide Open Face
Sep 25, 2011 - 01:28am PT
Climbed El Cap three or four times with a swami (2 inch) and no leg loops. Fearing for my vitals I threw down for a Whillans "sit harness." Liked the weight shift to my legs but the model back then (solid white) featured a rigid tie-in strap that basically ran flush over the man-post and this was troubling. Switched to leg loops after a trip up Leaning Tower.

JL
bvb

Social climber
flagstaff arizona
Sep 25, 2011 - 03:02am PT
I took a 40 footer on a Whillans on the Happy Hooker on Trono once

oh yeah. and i caught that fall from a fully hanging belay. one of the top five scariest moments of my climbing life. you tried to pass off the lead to me and i flat-out refused. so you got back up there and sent it. ballsy. i was freaked. best part of the story is how you finished the last couple of pitches in the dark with your harness totally untied. wh00ps!
steveA

Trad climber
bedford,massachusetts
Sep 25, 2011 - 09:05am PT
I was wearing a Whillans harness when I took the 100 foot fall while soloing the Prow, back in 1970. I was obviously very lucky. I still have that harness somewhere in a box of junk.
Aeriq

Social climber
Location: It's a MisterE
Nov 18, 2018 - 10:27am PT
Harness of Pain/Man-post Bump!
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
Nov 18, 2018 - 12:59pm PT
Low hanging fruit- was at risk of of getting squished to make ya' whine
I did the Shield in a Whillans, and I had a numb spot for a month (on my illiac crest)
Bj, are you sure that was the numb spot ?
& that it cleared?
was it only a month & not 40 years?

sorry couldn't resit the Low hanging fruit
Messages 41 - 58 of total 58 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
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