Objects Database

Bi-Caps - artificial chockstones

Accession Number

1293.2015.1

Object Name

Bi-Caps - artificial chockstones

Created

23/12/2015

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

23/12/2015

Brief Description

Bi Caps - artificial chockstones..double wedges on wire.

Materials

aluminium alloy

Dimensions

sizes 1,2,4,5,7,8 -

Number Of Objects

6

Inscription Description

On each one: sizes and "BI-CAPS MADE IN W GERMANY" and a mountain logo with "BI" inside

Colour

silver

Maker

Bergsport International

Object Production Place

West Germany

Provenance

Climbers used pebbles or chockstones to jam in cracks and make anchors in the early days. This was followed by the 'nuts era' when nuts - as in nuts and bolts - were threaded on a piece of rope and used to place in cracks/fissures in the rock. This led to 'chocks' and 'nuts' becoming the generic term for just about anything that climbers stuck in a crack.
The first artificial chockstones came along in 1961 with a thing called an Acorn and the ever popular MOAC. A plethora of variations followed in the next few decades and the Bi-Caps we have here in the collection were one of the many.
Created by a guy called Stefan Engers and made in West Germany they first saw the light of day in 1987 when Bergsport International began marketing them. Unfortunately, they were not a success and were pretty soon relegated to the 'gear that never quite made it' columns on the internet.
One reason they were a failure is that the two sections on each nut can't be separated allowing for two different sized placements on each wire - in fact the two little holes on the smaller of each one are there specifically to stop them being separated - how strange!
We bought this set on the internet for a few pounds in 2015 making us quite happy with another little piece of mountaineering history.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Mick Tighe

Acquisition Date

23/12/2015

Condition Check Date

23/12/2015

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

23/12/2015

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