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In the early 1960’s when I started climbing, the standard tie-in was a single end of braided manilla rope placed around the waist and secured by using a bowline with a double fisherman's knot.
The next improvement was the introduction of 6mm braided nylon wrapped and secured. Then there was the great leap forward to the swami belt - seat belt webbing wrapped many times around the waist and secured by a tape knot. The climbing rope was tied directly into these waistbands which, theoretically, spread loads from a fall across a greater area. But the greatest leap forward came in the early 1970’s with the introduction of the Whillan’s Harness. This was designed at the request of Don Whillans for the British 1970 Annapurna South Face Expedition. The ’Three Trolls’, Alan Waterhouse, Tony Howard and Paul Seddon, worked on it with Don and the design was completed by Paul after Tony Howard went to the Yukon. 
[Don’s harness] was worked on and modified by the Troll team over a period of six months and the result was hailed as the most indispensable piece of gear on the [Annapurna] climb." |
Ian Lewis and Lyle Closs wearing swami belts while climbing on "Lost World", Tasmania, 1972 (photo from the book "Climbing Glass" by Lyle Closs, page 40 - see Common Climber's review of the book)
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Most climbers of the 1970’s and 1980’s would be inclined to agree with the summation in the above quote in relation to their own climbing.
Earlier Paul had formed Parba Equipment, which manufactured and distributed Spud protection (1965) and later Big H’s (1968). The former was among the earliest commercial chocks or nuts available to Australian climbers at the time.
They certainly augmented my meagre rack of ballraces, drilled out nuts, a lone MOAC, and a plentiful supply of slings burdened with steel carabiners to wrap around suspect trees and unsuspecting ironstone bollards. The Big H’s were a later nut which did not have any impact as far as I know on either me or my fellow "Aussie" climbers.
Earlier Paul had formed Parba Equipment, which manufactured and distributed Spud protection (1965) and later Big H’s (1968). The former was among the earliest commercial chocks or nuts available to Australian climbers at the time.
They certainly augmented my meagre rack of ballraces, drilled out nuts, a lone MOAC, and a plentiful supply of slings burdened with steel carabiners to wrap around suspect trees and unsuspecting ironstone bollards. The Big H’s were a later nut which did not have any impact as far as I know on either me or my fellow "Aussie" climbers.
(Click above images to enlarge and see caption)
Early Australian climbers frequently used two of Paul Seddon's climbing equipment - Spuds and the ubiquitous Whillans Harness; I certainly had two of those harnesses throughout the 1970’s and probably into the early 1980’s. Troll also manufactured wedges on wire (which I used for many years), as well as a range of hexagonal nuts similar to the "Crackers" made by John Ewbank.
I had acquired my original orange and white harness cheaply in Yosemite in 1973 from a disgruntled American climber. When it wore out, I purchased a blue and white one. I missed out on its third incantation – the purple and white model.
The morning that I learned of Paul’s passing in mid-November this year, I dug out my remaining Whillans Harness – the blue and white one. (I think I donated my earlier orange one to the Natimuk Climbing Museum near Mount Arapiles [Dyuritte]).
I had acquired my original orange and white harness cheaply in Yosemite in 1973 from a disgruntled American climber. When it wore out, I purchased a blue and white one. I missed out on its third incantation – the purple and white model.
The morning that I learned of Paul’s passing in mid-November this year, I dug out my remaining Whillans Harness – the blue and white one. (I think I donated my earlier orange one to the Natimuk Climbing Museum near Mount Arapiles [Dyuritte]).
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I was heading south of Sydney that afternoon to climb with Tim Mccartney-snape on The Gib near Mittagong. When we got to the bottom to gear up Tim realised that he had had forgotten to pack his harness.
“I will have to go ‘old school’ and just tie in as I have forgotten my harness”. “Well Tim, you can still go ‘old school’ as I have just the thing for you in the bottom of my sack." In sympathy I had also forgotten to bring my belay device, so I also went "old school" by giving Tim a carabiner waist belay - without the gloves. In 1970 Paul Seddon teamed up with Alan Waterhouse and Tony Howard to form the "Three Trolls" – a very apt nickname. Their company, Troll had been named after the Troll Wall, Europe’s highest wall in Norway after Tony Howard had been on its first ascent in 1965. Their company Troll is of international repute and among the first to manufacture nuts, and webbing products along with other climbing and industrial safety equipment. In 1979 they added the sewn belay loop to their current harness, the forerunner to all climbing harnesses used today. Then as now only the bold ventured far into the unknown but then, unlike now, the leader had little other than his own abilities to rely on. To venture onto the ever-steepening walls needed not finer nerves, but better equipment.” My thanks to you, Paul, for providing your vision and designs to the gear that we climb with - you shaped the future, the equipment, and the safety of climbing.
May you rest in peace. Vale Paul Seddon 
(L-R) Alan Waterhouse, Tony Howard, and Paul Seddon – The Three Trolls.
(Photo Credit: Stephane Pennequin/Nuts Museum/Corsica)
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Tim Mccartney-snape proudly wearing my old battered Whillan’s Harness on "The Gib." (Photo Credit: Keith Bell)
The Troll Wall in Norway, the shadowed wall to the right of center. (Photo Credit: Ximonic, Wikimedia)
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A Cortege of Climbers
Once on the market the sale and use of the Whillans Harness flourished in Australia as it did in many other countries. Compared to what had gone before it was a "breath of fresh air" and many of my contemporaries (as well as I) swathed one around themselves whenever we had the chance or stance. The following photographs are testament to this.
(Click above images to enlarge and see caption)
Learn more about some of the people, places, and climbs featured in these photos:
- First ascent of the "Flight of the Phoenix"(18/5.10a), Bluff Mountain Warrumbungles
- "Flake Crack" (17/5.9) - Mt. Piddington - Mt. Victoria - Blue Mountains
- John Ewbank, "The Janicepts" (21/5.10d) - Mt Piddington - Mt Victoria - Blue Mountains.
- Bryden Allen route, Amen Corner (18/5.10a) - Mt Piddington - Mt Victoria - Blue Mountains
- "The Eternity" (18/5.10a) - Mt. Piddington - Mt. Victoria - Blue Mountains