The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
491.2008.1
Fisher Descendeur (Figure of eight)
25/11/2008
Hermione Cooper
25/11/2008
Fisher Descendeur - figure of eight abseiling device
metal
14(l) x 6(w)cms
1
silver
UK
George Fisher set up his mountaineering shop in Keswick way back in the 1960's and was renowned for his innovative approach to the great outdoors - for instance he got the idea for a new anorak from trawlermen in the North Sea.
In the late 1960's climbers were starting to use friction devices for abseiling rather than wrapping the rope around their bodies which could prove rather painful.
George got some Figure of 8's made in 1962/3 probably by a local engineering company, and using the French term 'descendeur' set about advertising them as you can see opposite.
What George and the British Mountaineering Council Sub Committee failed to note was that most climbers were using Viking nylon ropes at the time which were braided - pig tail style - which made it virtually impossible to feed the rope through when the figure of eight loaded. Lots of climbers got stuck as a result and got into trouble for being late home for tea.
It didn’t take George too long to realise his mistake and within a few years he had a new version on the market, an example of which you will find elsewhere in the collection.
This early version once belonged to Mick Tighe during his mountain guiding years though he was too scared to ever use it!
Donated by Mick Tighe
25/11/2008
28/04/2009
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
28/04/2009