Coming to a city near you - The GORE-TEX® Experiential Rig Roadshow

The GORE-TEX® products Experiential Rig is touring the country for the next four weeks allowing you guys to experience the benefits of its technologies and learn about the incredible range of activities and brands that rely on GORE-TEX® products.

For over 50 years W.L. Gore & Associates has been delivering solutions that make people’s lives easier, safer and more comfortable. The company’s best-known brand – GORE-TEX® - established the market for functional fabrics and has remained a market leader throughout that time.

The GORE-TEX® products Experiential Rig enables you to gain a better understaning of Gore product range and their applications. From running to motorcycling to hill walking, mountaineering and snowsports there are garments, footwear and accessories to suit every level of participation.

As well as showcasing some of the very best Mountain Equipment/GORE-TEX product such as the Changabang Jacket and Pinnacle Glove, the Experiential Rig also offers an interactive exhibition made up of various sensory experiences that demonstrate the physical benefits offered by GORE-TEX® membranes these include - the "Climate Cube" where you can choose from a range of activities, each of which take you – and your feet – through a variety of the most extreme weather conditions you are likely to experience also Get ‘hands on’ with the "Glove tester" on the Rig that brings the benefits of Gore’s glove technology to life.

Additional information is available about the products, technologies and the Experiential Rig Roadshow itself through a dedicated microsite.

Visit www.gore-tex.co.uk and click on the link.

Locations for the GORE-TEX® Products Experiential Rig Roadshow are:

27/10 – 01/11 The Trafford Centre, Manchester
05/11 – 08/11 Silverburn, Glasgow
10/11 – 15/11 Meadow Hall, Sheffield
17/11 – 22/11 Westfield, London

Welsh Mountain Training: End of Day Two

Well we've just finished the first of our two-day mountain skills training events here in Snowdonia. Its been a real mixed bag of training and luckily the weather so far has been interesting enough without being horrendous - the perfect environment to learn about some of our products and spend time talking to the people who help develop and test it.

Yesterdays biggest logistical challenge was how to get a group of 12 to Pen Y Pass, more specifically how to park 3 cars, but a few shuttle runs later and some inspirational lift thumbing from Rich B and we were back as one group heading upwards towards Crib Goch.

A damp start to Day One at Pen Y Pass

With a real mix of abilities and retail staff from all around the country, including Cave & Crag in Settle and Go Outdoors in Newport and Oxford and Kudos in Cardiff, the classic Welsh ridge was going to be a fantastic introduction to Wales. For some it would turn out to be a baptism of Fire, especially for one girl who until now had never been even been on a mountain in her life, let alone to Snowdonia. For her it was a stirling effort and a real show of courage and commitment to get across the knife edge ridge of Crib Goch particularly given the greasy and slippy nature of the rock.

L-R Kelly, Dave, Adam, Rich B and Lewis

And thats whats the essence of these courses, giving everyone, no matter what their previous experience a real mountain day. Some speedier members of the group managed to continue over Crib Y Ddyssgyl and experience the new cafe on the summit of Snowdon. I am told on a busy half term day, it looks little better than the previous shelter!

Descending from the Pinnacles of Crib Goch - Glaslyn behind

Today we've been in much smaller groups, one group heading off to experience an introduction to roped scrambling, having a great day out on Pulpit route and the Continuation Crack before heading over Tryfan, another group has had an introduction to climbing and abseiling on Tryfan Bach and another group has spent the day learning rope skills and having an introduction to climbing both indoors and outdoors.

Learning to climb in Snowdonia

American Alpine Club International Meet- Indian Creek

Ruth Taylor and myself have just returned from an amazing 3 week trip to the States. We started off on a 10 day trip to Indian creek and Cottonwood Canyon organised by the AAC and Brittany Griffith then tagged our own trip on the end.

We landed in Salt Lake City late one evening, met up with 22 other international climbers from all over the world, from Japan to Latvia. The next morning we were shoehorned into a pair of minivans and whisked away straight to Indian Creek. That evening was spent setting up the camp, checking out the amazing desert scenery and getting psyched for some crack climbing pain!

5 days later after much skin, tape, chalk and dignity had been lost we had dragged ourselves to the top of a rack of amazing splitter crack lines. New jamming skills acquired we headed back to Salt Lake for showers and the AAC organised Craggin' Classic being held in Cottonwood Canyon. This was like one of our climbing festivals similar to the one held in the Gower in August. Basically some climbing, some partying (as much as is possible with Utah regulated 3.2% Beer - thankfully free!) slideshows by speakers including Steve House and Andy Burr. The weekend and the International Meet finished off with some films in a small independent cinema in Salt Lake and much swopping of details between the host climbers and internationals.

We spent the next 10 days driving a huge truck on a whistlestop tour of Red Rocks, Las Vegas, Moab and Maple Canyon before we headed back home with tired arms and another dose of jetlag to welcome us back to work.

Assistant Apparel Designer wanted

The time has come.
Mountain Equipment has been growing steadily for the last few years with an increasing product range and an unfaltering commitment to excellence, but even we have to admit that it's become too much work.
We need somebody to help out, learn the ropes and become a key part of the team.
If you love the outdoors (if you're reading the blog, you must be a bit of an outdoor nerd, right?) and are excited about designing technical apparel, this could be your opportunity.

You should have degree-level design qualifications, or equivalent experience.
Send your C.V. and examples of your work to:
sam.stephenson@mountain-equipment.co.uk

What to pack?

Well I'm going to be spending the next couple of weeks out in the mountains of North Wales. So i've spent the afternoon sifting through my hoards of kit trying to decide what to pack. I think there is definitely a point at which you can have far too much kit, but thats one of the hard parts of working on product development.

Normally my pack is lying in my cupboard waiting to go, but every year, around this time, everything falls apart as I attempt to deal with the whole Summer-Winter transition. But having checked the MWIS forecast I think the most I will have to contend with is Autumn Gales and Heavy rain, winter seems to have disappeared for the time being.

So at the risk of being mobbed by die-hard fans of Mountain Equipment (do you exist? Are you on our new facebook page?)I will not disclose too much, other than to say we'll be working with upto 40 members of retail staff from all around the country over the coming week or two in the mountains of Snowdonia. We'll hopefully be updating our blog every day with reports.

See you in the Snowdonia perhaps.

'Single-Handed scoops 2 awards!

Last weekend saw the premiere of ‘Single-Handed’ at the 7th Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival.

"Single-Handed" is a short film based around Mountain Equipment Pro Partner Kev Shields who has a partial left-hand and suffers with epilepsy. The film follows Kev and his progression through the climbing grades culminating in his solo of an E6 at Glen Nevis, Scotland. (Kev has since gone on to solo E7)

'Single-Handed' was awarded ‘Best Climbing Film’ and the ‘People’s Choice’ award at the Festival and recieve a tremendous response 300 strong audience.

The film is also a finalist at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival (Canada) and it will also play at the Kendal Mountain Festival (UK) late November.

Single-Handed is taken from the DVD 'Monkey See Monkey Do' released on Monday, for more information and how to get a copy go to www.hotaches.com

view the trailer here

A perfect day?

An early-ish start and i was whizzing down the M6 to pick up Sam en route to North Wales, destination Plas Y Brenin.

A rainbow shines across the Llanberis Pass.

Our close ties with Plas Y Brenin, means that North Wales sometimes feels like a second home and our aim for later that day was a variety of meetings and formal feedback sessions with the instructors and staff.

But the early start was to give us enough time for a quick blast up some hopefully dry rock and as we veered off the A55 and headed down towards Betws Y Coed, things were looking promising, sure there was a bit of hill-fog but nothing too threatening.

As we parked up at the Cromlech boulders it was feeling a little gloomy but the rock looked dry and so with a couple of hours to spare we opted to head across to Dinas Mot and climb Western Slabs.

Looking up towards Dinas Mot

It had been a while since Sam had been on a multi pitch route, especially in the gloom of a Welsh Autumn and so this was the perfect route to get back into the groove of leading again. For anyone who has climbed this will know its a great little route with decent belays and plenty of gear that weaves its way up the right hand side of Dinas Mot.

Looking down Pitch 2 of Western Slabs. VS4c.

By the time we got to the last pitch, the clouds had lowered and a fine drizzly mist was settling in, adding a little spice to the afternoon and ensuring a thoroughly damp abseil retreat from the top. If proof were needed that hooded softshells are a good idea on mixed weather days this was it.

Rain approaches Llanberis.

Rich rigging the abseil for a hasty retreat

An hour later we were sat in the bar at Plas Y Brenin, chatting about our impending Winter 2010 sales launch over a warm cup of tea before heading off to bag more tea and cake in the staff room. The following few hours were spent chatting with the instructors, gleaning feedback on existing products, discussing new products, new hoods and generally listening to their opinions. That is afterall the whole point of why we work with them.

Sam retreating from Dinas Mot

Two hours later and it was all over and we were heading back across to Llanberis for some much needed food and a pint. The perfect day? Well it certainly wasnt bad.