Ian:
Thanks for the video. When I lived in Kenya as a youth, Don Whillans came to Kenya to climb and he brought several of his new Whillans Sit Harness to sell club member during a presentation he gave at the Mountain Club of Kenya. I bought one of his harnesses so I not only own a Whillans Harness, I own “Whillans’ harness”. I still used use it occasionally just for pure nostalgic purposes.
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My first harness was a Whillans, I didn’t use it for very long. The concept was pretty good for those who didn’t intend to fall, and the ability to put on and take off while using crampons was not something I ever needed. But in the early days of sport climbing where falling/resting on the rope was common , the Whillans harness had a serious design flaw (if you wanted children). Thankfully I didn’t take any big whippers in one 
The Petzl Adrenaline I replaced it with was a whole different world of comfort, and I still haven’t found anything that is as comfortable as that was. Not that I need anything much now, I think a bit of mild scrambling is my limit these days.
Ian
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Wow, that was fun, thanks Ian. …and yes my first harness was a Whillans – after graduating from swami belts, of course. Used it for years and still have it. Thanks again!
BTW, did you notice the belay anchor at the top? 
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I’m fairly sure I used a thin hemp rope as a waistline before I went hi-tech & bought a Whillans harness in the early ‘70s. (I tried it for size recently-strangely it seems to have shrunk over the last 50 years…)
My non-ham buddy Ken who often comes with me on activations has a good collection of early nuts, chocks etc. I have a few -who remembers MOAC chocks?
Edited-just found my copy of ‘Advanced Rockcraft’ with all my other climbing books. Another book which was popular in the UK at least, was Alan Blackshaw’s ‘Mountaineering-From Hillwalking to Alpine Climbing.’ Happy days!
73 all. John
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I’ve still got a couple squirrelled away somewhere, they were last used in 1982 IIRC! Last time I came across my old protection gear the alloy crabs were developing corrosion pits due to some sort of galvanic action!
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I’ve still got a few - just in case someone wants to go climbingv with a 74 yr old 
I’ve also got a few other bits and pieces from the late70s, such as Stitch plates, fig 8s, Titans (?)
I should be realistic and recycle the lot…but…well ??? (you never know 
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David, I went looking for a new home for my rack of Chinourd chocks among all my old climbing buddies’ kids and couldn’t find any takers. They all want their new devices now. …and they are all better climbers than we ever were.
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I sold a couple of old stubai ice axes last year - one long handled wooden one and a 60s short shafted one. I’m not too sure the ali chocks we’ve got will ever make it into the antique trade. Perhaps scrap value ?
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Congratulations on Kenya
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Pat, unfortunately that was an unsuccessful attempt on Mt. Kenya’s upper spires due to weather conditions. I have many failures on both Mt. Kenya and Mt. Kilimanjaro due to altitude sickness which is another thing we understand much better today than we did in the 70’s.
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Hi Paul,
Sorry you didn’t get up the peak. But sometimes, it’s better not to. My experience with high altitude is limited. I’ve been up a bunch of the 14,000’ peaks in Colorado and did experience mild altitude sickness a few times. Also, climbed Orizaba, and Popocatépetl, 17,694, in Mexico, and although I felt terrible, I did not get altitude sickness. But I was only 25 then Luckily, I was living in Denver then and somewhat used to high altitude.
At the climber’s hut on Orizaba, the group from Seattle keep everyone else awake most of the night, first from their puking due to altitude, and second from their 3am exit in which they packed up for about 30 minutes. Nothing like hut culture.
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They must’ve been the same group we spent the better part of a week with in the Muir Hut on Rainier.
My girlfriend of many years never seemed to be able to make the summit with me due to “altitude sickness.” She discovered that the dry heaves she experienced were actually due to a form of dehydration. Once the fluid in her stomach reached a certain level, it would reject the much needed water due to the lack of electrolyte in plain water. What she found out was that she needed a fluid with a weak charge on it - an electrolyte replacement fluid - administered in smaller quantities at more frequent intervals - and she was good to go. We are still in touch and she regularly summits 14,000 in the Rockies with no problems at age 65.
When I did Shasta I went with a bunch of much younger fitness instructors that bolted up the mountain the first day. The next day they all failed to make the summit with the same symptoms as my ex-girlfriend. It was a case of the tortoise as the hare as me and my old friend plodded by these green kids to the summit, taking frequent, small sips from our weak Koolaid.
My ex discovered a product called ERG (Electrolyte Replacement Glucose) but, really any very weak solution of salt and sugar will do. Gatorade cut 1:3 or weak fruit juice will do.
73 Eric KG6MZS
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Hi Eric. I often see something similar in the Tetons, backcountry skiing, though probably not from dehydration or altitude sickness. From the parking lot, youngsters bolt up the trail with Strava keeping time for them. About 30 minutes later I pass them on the uptrack. As I pass them, I take my stocking cap off so they can see all my gray hair.
They’re like puppies; they come out of the gate quickly, but often burn all of their energy before the climb starts.
Of course, most of the young ones I’ll never catch, up or down.
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