Lots of little legends came out of the 1960s Californian climbing scene and Lost Arrows were one of them. Folk had been banging pieces of metal into rocks for centuries, but the huge walls of the Yosemite Valley required a refinement of the shape and type of steel to be used. Yvon Chouinard in his 1970s Pacific Ironworks catalogue explains:-

“Lost Arrow Pitons

These “big wall” pitons are patterned after the original design of John Salathe and their consistent quality and reliability are made possible through the use of forging dies and expert hand blacksmithing. They represent the lightest design possible for a given blade size, yet are tough enough to withstand repeated usage. Now forged in Italy from chrome-molybdenum steel.”

Mick Tighe found this particular one amongst his scrum of junk in the shed.