Climbing in the 1950s

The only type of rope readily available as a climbing aid during the 1950s and early 1960s was Australian sisal but it was unreliable in holding a lead fall. It cost about three shillings (about 30 cents) for 10 ft (about 3 metres). Although nylon ropes were adopted as the international standard shortly at this time, it was almost a decade before synthetic rope was readily available in Australia over the counter. Until then, climbers obtained nylon ropes from visitors or ordered them from overseas suppliers at great expense. But underlining all of the advice provided for members was the principle that the leader must not fall. It had influenced climbing in Australia to this point and it would be a decade or more before equipment advances and climbing attitudes shifted to accept the principle that a lead climber can fall safely. In the 1950s, it was simply out of the question. A fall by a lead climber would almost certainly result in serious injury or death.