Objects Database

Shortened pitons

Accession Number

1174.2014.1(a-f)

Object Name

Shortened pitons

Created

05/11/2014

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

05/11/2014

Brief Description

Six shortened pitons on a karabiner.

Materials

steel

Dimensions

5.5 up to 9.5(l) cms(l)

Number Of Objects

6

Inscription Description

a- a diamond with a "C" inside
b - a diamond with "C" inside and "B D USA"
c- - a diamond with "C" inside and "USA"
d - a diamond with "C" inside and "BD USA"
e - "CLOG"
f - "CASSIN ITALY"

Colour

silver

Maker

Chouinard, Cassin, Clog

Object Production Place

USA, Italy, Wales

Provenance

Artificial climbing is the technique of climbing a rock face using artificial aids such as pitons, bolts, chocks and wedges. Climbers also use a small rope ladder known as an etrier, various types of which you will find elsewhere in the collection.
Artificial climbing comes with a vast array of fancy words; pitons are called 'pegs', banging them in is often called 'nailing' and the cracks that they are banged into can be deep, shallow or even 'blind'. A blind crack is a very shallow one and as a consequence a very short piton is required to fit it. Some pitons are made short for that very purpose, but artificial climbers often cut down ordinary 'pegs' to make shorter versions - a selection of which we are delighted to have here in the collection.
Legendary Scottish climber, Allen Fyffe, kindly donated this bunch of pitons to the collection. He'd cut them down himself prior to a climbing trip to Yosemite Valley in California where there's lots of nailing to be done on the huge granite walls.
Interestingly, apart from one Clog and one Cassin the other four pitons are Chouinards. Yvon Chouinard was an American climber who pioneered lots of new climbs in Yosemite while developing artificial climbing techniques and the pitons required for the job.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Allen Fyffe

Acquisition Date

05/11/2014

Condition Check Date

05/11/2014

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

05/11/2014

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