Note all the cutting edge equipment... home made leather waist belt, home made alloy wedges, drilled out steel nuts, all on thin line. Five soft steel pegs, several long slings, the majority of the crabs are steel. I often wonder how we managed!
Photo by Ken Jackson.

I bet you didn't get many runners on the crux run-out pitch Tony? And no sticky rubber either. Probably did my ascent of this marvellous route in the early 70's, when out gear wasn't much different to what you are using.

Hi Sean, you are absolutely right. If we managed to place two runners in 100ft, we felt well pleased. At that time all climbing was serious, that's how it was, I'm sure you will be nodding in agreement.
I climbed Pause several times with Ken Jackson, it was a favourite. A short story...On an ascent in 1967, we were midway through one of the pitches above the Crevasse, Ken was leading with only one poor nut on thin cord. A sudden heavy shower started. Ken was about fifty feet from me at a faint crack line in the slab. Our primitive nuts would not fit the crack, the situation was looking serious. Water was now flowing down slab causing bow waves over Ken's boots, he was in danger of been washed off his feet. The crack was supposed to have an in situ peg, but it wasn't there...instead someone had hammered a small coach bolt into crease. The hexagon head of the bolt was almost flush with the rock preventing Ken from hanging any of our slings over it as they were too thick. Thinking quickly, Ken remembered that he carried a Fob watch on a piece of nylon boot lace cord. The cord fitted snuggly over the bolt and he quickly clipped his ropes. We both breathed again! Ken had to hold position for about 15 minutes before the shower eased and the sun returned, drying the slab. We finished the climb like two drowned rats.

Great historical shot: With Dougie Lang we climbed it in 1968 with the same crappy gear. You didn't half stick your neck out at times! Much appreciated.
Graeme Hunter

Your story reminds me of climbing Spartan Slab with Gavin Anderson (of Jack the Ripper fame)in the early 70's. As I got to the tree belay it started raining heavily and everyone in the vicinity immediately retreated to our lonely belay, and all started abbing from what was not much more than a sapling. I watched nervously, as it bent sidewards with all that weight!