Early climbers simply hitched the rope around a rock spike – if they could find one – to make an anchor. They also carried small rope slings to make running belays as they progressed. Pitons were the next thing to arrive and reigned supreme for decades until someone realised that an engineer’s nut fitted nicely into various fissures in the rock so 1960’s climbers would often carry several slings draped around their necks with a selection of ‘nuts’ threaded on them. The perfectionists would often drill out the nut to remove the thread so it wouldn’t cut into the rope. More often the thread was left on as with the fine examples we have here on a Viking nylon sling. They were kindly donated by Mountain Guide, John Cheesmond.