The Scottish Mountain Heritage Collection
1049.2013.1
Cassin Sit Harness
23/01/2013
Hermione Cooper
23/01/2013
Cassin sit harness with metal buckles and plastic equipment loops.
nylon,metal
95(l) x7(w) cms
1
Black label with yellow writing saying "CASSIN"
black, pink, yellow, orange
Cassin
Italy
Trying to identify the various types of climbing harnesses from the 1970's and 1980's can be a bit of a nightmare though the 'Cassin' on the label of this one gives us a clue!
Riccardo Cassin was a highly celebrated and decorated mountaineer from Italy. He had a long list of first ascents in the Alps; the most famous being the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jurasses. The 'decorations' came from his war time operations with the Partisans who fought a bitter campaign against the Germans.
Cassin started making climbing equipment way back in 1947 and produced a prototype climbing harness in 1958 which went into production two years later.
The harness we have here in the collection is from a little later circa 1985 and once belonged to Mick Tighe's Mountain Guiding Company, Nevis Guides. It was probably given to Mick by Nevisport as for many years they were the UK importers of Cassin gear and Mick helped them advertise the Cassin brand.
Riccardo Cassin died at the grand old age of 100, in 2009; his company trademark having been sold to CAMP in 1997.
Donated by Mick Tighe
23/01/2013
23/01/2013
Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007
23/01/2013
Cassin belay plate
Cassin Channel Ice Piton
Cassin fig 8
Cassin Logic belay device
Cassin Sit Harness