INDEX to Mechanical Advantage series
The development of big wall tools and techniques by John Middendorf IV
Print Versions of Mechanical Advantage: Tools for the Wild Vertical here!
Trango Tower History series
INDEX to John Middendorf articles
Trango Tower History series Trango Towers chronology of climbs Minamiura’s Solo of Trango, 1990 Trango 1988a—Geology of the region Trango 1988b—Kurtyka-Loretan Trango 1988 sidebar—meeting Erhard Loretan Trango 1987a: —The ‘Yugoslav Route’ What’s in a name?—Trango
Index to Mechanical Advantage Series
Volume 1:
Foreword APR 3, 2022
Tools and Climbing Styles Mechanical Advantage (introduction). OCT 5, 2021
early days:
In the Beginning: Subtle Means and Engines
Pre-1492 climbing tools MAY 10, 2021
18th Century Mountaineering MAY 17, 2021
American Trail Builders, 1800's MAY 19, 2021
The rise of iron for ascent JUN 22, 2021
Rope Technology in the 19th century JUN 27, 2021
Early pitons:
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution--part 1a--Origin of the term "piton", and Marmolada JUL 26, 2021
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution--part 1b--Alpine ways and artificial aids. JUL 28, 2021
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution--part 1c--Mauerhaken AUG 2, 2021
Mizzi Langer -- first advertised rock climbing pitons (Mauerhaken) JUL 14, 2021
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution--part 1d--Inline pitons and the rise of steel AUG 4, 2021
Climbing Pitons Early Evolution-part 1e--Fiechtlhaken Design. AUG 20, 2021
Campanile Basso di Brenta SEP 3, 2021
(the above seven articles have been edited appear in the 2023 British Alpine Journal)
Early Techniques and European innovations:
Tita Piaz-Alpinista Acrobatico (Piaz PartA) AUG 24, 2021
Tita Piaz-Speed Climber and Rope Acrobat (Piaz PartB) SEP 12, 2021
Tita Piaz-Guide and Rigging Expert (Piaz PartC) SEP 17, 2021
Tita Piaz, PartD--Big Wall Climber JAN 5, 2022
(the above four articles have been edited and appear in the 2023 American Alpine Journal)
Climbing Tools and Techniques—1908 to 1939 (Europe, PartA) Myths and Legends FEB 11, 2022
Representation of Early Women Alpinists (notesV2) DEC 2, 2021
Climbing Tools and Techniques—1908 to 1939-Aid Climbing Mastery (Europe, PartB) FEB 20, 2022
First carabiners for climbing-summary. AUG 9, 2022
1930s Climbing Tools (Europe, PartC) MAR 19, 2022
1930s climbing histories of the pre-WWI era. DEC 5, 2021 (as Appendix)
(+Oliver Perry Smith)
ARCHIVE.org Volume 1 (compiled material above in PDF)
Buy the books here
Volume 2:
Early North American Innovations:
Climbing Tools and Techniques—early North American Developments to 1910 APR 23, 2022 (-Oliver Perry Smith)
Trains and Kain (Canada climbing to 1916, part 1) MAY 14, 2022
Trains and Kain (part 2) JUN 5, 2022
British Empire pitons 1920s+, notes on Japan SEPT 14, 2022
USA Adoption of pitons, 1920s - 1939 (part A) Ellingwood and Lavender (Nov, 2022)
couple new pages on Australia to 1930s.
Games Climbers Play (Dec, 2022)
Envisioning of pitons USA and Miriam O’Brien (Dec 21, 2022)
(the article above, edited will appear in the Alpine Journal 2023)
Fallen heroes (and the climbing/politics/war/bias interface) AUG 12, 2022 (Opinion)
Early engineered rock climbing in the USA (Richard Leonard, 1934) USA part C
Zion in the 1930s (March 29, 2023)
Seque pages after Mount Waddington (40s)
Shiprock and ‘first bolts’ (1939)
Volume 2 finale (U.S. Army gear, nylon ropes, and aluminum carabiners)
ARCHIVE.org Volume 2 (above material compiled)
Buy the books here
Volume 3 (to come)—the modern era
Volume 3 will being with Yosemite in the late 1940s, and the great 1950s climbs in the Alps, when lots of new tools come online.
1950s to early 60s gear —Aluminum/nylon Era
1950s Gear Notes V2 (May 18, 2023)
A5 hammer production forge process (sidebar)AUG 22, 2022
State of the Art Climbing Gear, 1964 AUG 15, 2022
1950s global climbs and early big walls
Clean Revolution— nylon/aluminum/chromo era—→ Clean!
Bolts
Big Wall and Expediton Equipment evolution
OTHER ARTICLES RESEARCH & HISTORY NOTES
on Skunkworks... musings of the old days by John Middendorf JUN 6, 2022
Birdbeaks JUN 9, 2022
Monkey paw story JUL 1, 2021
D4 Delta2p Evolution (2020 John Middendorf portaledge design) AUG 2, 2021
D4 vs A5 Frame Engineering Analysis SEP 8, 2021
Tribute to Ammon McNeely (2023)
Environmental musings
On why Tasmania’s native forests call for direct action (2023)
Prologue to Tasmania Treesit history research (next article submitted Wild Magazine)
Partial bibliography:
