Pitons
Piton Antiquities Guide
Origins in the art of Piton use in Climbing

Aid Climbing

The sport of Direct Aid Climbing (Pitoncraft), which involves the use of pegs or pitons developed primarily through a strong interest to summit on many of the steep-walled pinnacles and mountains of the European Alps. This inspiring mountain range lies in the heart of a diverse culture, and forms an impressive series of summits, pinnacles and spires that extend from western Switzerland, across northern Italy and into Austria.

Mountain explorers used 'fixed ladders' as early as 1492 during an ascent of the Mont Aiguille an impressively steep sided limestone mountain in the Western Alps near Grenoble, France by Antoine de Ville, a resident of France. Although far from the high quality Chouinard piton of our day, it is evident that people were enabled to make ascents of cliffs using a form of structural equipment.

Later, numerous towers in the Dolomites of the eastern Alps were ascended starting in the 1850s. Pegs or 'pitons' as we now call them, were utilized on the first successful ascent of Campanile Basso di Brenta near Trento, Italy was one of the last major Dolomite spires to be climbed. Two students from Innsbruck, Otto Ampferer and Karl Berger succeeded on this elusive tower using pegs on the difficult portions that had repulsed earlier climbers.

 This unique form of artificial aid found particular use by driving or hammering the peg directly into the crack of a cliff, which allowed opportunity for direct aid, or more frequently to secure the belayer and also for running belay protection for the lead climber. This type of fixed gear greatly improved security for the climber particularly in the Dolomites where there was considerable high exposure and a lack of natural rock horns or flakes.

Nailing

Artificial aid technology use increased in 1910 when climbers refined their technique by utilizing many pitons and also incorporating the use of Karabiners (carabiners) for direct aid. Otto Herzog (1888-1964) of Munich, Germany adapted steel carabiners for his climbing adventures in the mountains which revolutionized the sport, but did not gain popularity until after World War II. Other climbers as well, experimented with pegs and carabiners during this period, which resulted in substantial advances in technique and skill. Pitons used during the early 1900s were usually straight blade piton or had a 'ring' or circular loop of metal affixed to the outer end of the straight blade piton.

Mountaineers carried the pegs until needed by the lead climber who hammered the pegs into a crack or crevice. After the pegs (pitons) were driven into the crack a short piece of rope was tied to the piton and around the lead rope. One of the following climbers would untie the short piece of rope and continue up the route.

Not all early mountaineers used pitons. Some found the use of pitons to hinder the forward progress of climbing endurance and skill. Paul Preuss (1886-1913) advocated climbing within his free abilities, but this same generation of climbers although agreeing with his idealogy quickly took to the extreme steep unclimbed mountain walls of Europe using pitons. Other core members of this early generation of climbers from Dülfer, Herzog, Piaz, Welzenbach, to Cassin and Heckmair also admired Preuss' energetic climbing ability and ethical standard. Stunning free ascents were made by Dülfer without using pitons, such as his and von Bernuth ascent of the West Face of Cima Grande.

Initial advantageous use for pitons in USA mountaineering

In America, one of the earliest climbs to utilize pitons was on a vertical sided 350-foot volcanic plug called Lizard Head in Colorado. Albert Ellingwood and Barton Hoag utilized several iron pegs to surmount a difficult section on this summit.

The Stettner brothers, Joe and Paul, used German pitons to make their bold ascent of the East Face of Longs Peak in 1927 in Colorado called the "Stettners Ledges" route.

Bob Ormes, Bill House, and Gordon Williams, although forced to retreat from their valient attempt of Shiprock in 1937 in New Mexico used pitons to try to surmount the technical sections of this massive 1700-foot eroded volcanic desert plug.

John Salathé crafted pitons from high strength carbon steel from the discarded Ford Model A rear axle to create an ideal forged piton for his ascent on the Lost Arrow Spire in Yosemite in 1946.

Piton Metallurgy - Early 1900s & 1960s refinements in the USA

The 'picture hook' peg looks very similar to a railroad spike but is much thinner, has a sharp point, and has an elongated taller head from which a sling or piece of rope can be tied around.

Wall Nailing

The 'peg' or 'piton' evolved through a refinement process in the early 1900s by reducing the weight and size to make a thinner piton blade that also incorporated an 'eye' built into the head to tie into while leading. The product is quite thin and usually composed of malleable soft steel and when hammered in would conform to the crack. This type of piton was of dubious strength and were of limited re-usability.

Prior to the 1960s most pitons were made from soft iron, but the focus toward Yosemite big walls sparked the need to design a re-usable piton. A new generation of piton in 1960s was manufactured using alloy steel. This metal piton found great favor for use by Yvon Chouinard. The great advantage was considerable strength and security, easily re-usable and re-movable.

Chuck Wilts successfully crafted thin knifeblade pitons from chromium-molybdenum alloy steel. Yvon Chouinard and Tom Frost were the first two American business men to develop a full marketable range of pitons at Great Pacific Iron Works. The business name changed to Chouinard Equipment Co., and in the '90s became Black Diamond. Chouinard, Salathé, Ed Leeper, Layton Kor, and others also made alloy steel pitons. A British company (Clog) manufactured a version similar in composition and style.

  Some popular piton types you will see available on the market these days are:
Knifeblades, Bugaboos, Lost Arrows, Angles, Bongs, Leepers, Peckerheads and RURP's. Old style entirely flat surface metal pitons (with the eye flush to the blade of the piton) are seldom used today because of the difficulty to use in tight 90° corner cracks.

Piton Types and Characteristics

  • Knifeblade (KB): A very thin flexible piton with a tapered blade for narrow seams. Stamp-cut and bent with a 90° offset to facilitate placement in tight corners. Bugaboos are the thicker version of the KB and are composed of a less-flexible steel.
  • Lost Arrow (LA): A thicker tapered bladed piton with the eye set at 90° in the head. This pin is used in medium-sized cracks and range from 3" to 7" in length. Lost Arrow pitons are generally quite rigid, especially pitons that are composed of 3/8" thick alloy steel.
  • Angles: Composed of slightly flexible sheet steel Angles are usually bent into either a 'u', 'v', or 'z' shape.
    The 'z' shaped pitons are known as Leepers. Baby Angles have minimal widths from 1/2" to 3/4" (and perhaps 3" long), while regular sized Angles usually range in width from 1" to 3".
  • Bongs: Stamp-cut and folded from light alloy metal similar to Angle pitons, but usually made in widths ranging from 3" to 5" for use in very wide crack systems. Bongs usually have rows of large holes cut through the metal to lighten the overall finished product.
  • RURP: The 'Realized Ultimate Reality Piton' is a minute quarter-sized pin that is used for nailing very thin shallow seams.

Nearly all modern pitons are composed of either stamp-cut or forged metal alloy, aluminum, hardened chromium-molybdenum steel, or even titanium alloy. Certain brands such as Hupfauf Einsiedeln in Switzerland produce a slightly rough finished stock, while the Cassin product line of pitons are composed of a slightly more malleable alloy steel. Malleable pitons have limited multiple use (perhaps 1-2 times placed and retrieved) and are ideal as disposable pitons for 'fix and go' tactics on a cliff. Popular modern pitons are usually oriented so the 'eye' is 90° from the angle of the blade of the piton to allow easy retrieval from the cliff crack.

Rock and Ice Hammers

The reference chart on Hammers covers a variety of cast-forged and machine-forged tools ranging from the 1930s to present. Thick tools such as hammers are commonly block-forged, but items such as hangers and some flat pitons can be drop-forged or stamp-forged and usually include some further process refining using machining, grinding, or folding/bending to attain a final ideal dimension.

Piton Antiquities - A Visual Tour

For a photographic tour of various old pitons found in Northwest USA (WA-OR): Piton Chart »

Complexities in Style and Type of Aid Climbing

Methodology of Aid Climbing & Nailing Concepts

  • The art of aid climbing (i.e. Nailing) is the use of artificial equipment via direct tension to attain upward height on a vertical rock wall or mountain.
  • Nailing typically involves the placement of pitons, but may also include other artificial (or natural) protection such as Stoppers (wires) or Nuts, Cams, etc., for the ascent.
  • To weight or take tension or using foot stirrups is referred to as Direct Aid Climbing.
  • The anti-thesis of Nailing is Free Climbing, which is the theory that a climber will rely solely on his/her physical endurance to ascend a vertical rock wall.