Berghaus Launches Big Wall Range

Just about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting world is the new Berghaus über-technical range of climbing clothing, Big Wall.

It doesn't take a genius to work out that the new kit is aimed at, well, big wall climbers, the sort of gnarly individuals who take on massive multi-day faces in Yosemite while kipping on portaledges and dragging their massive selection of hardware behind them in reinforced bags. People not, coincidentally, unlike Berghaus sponsored climber Leo Houlding.

The collection has taken some three years to develop, says the company, and is 'a select range of exciting and ground-breaking products that are comfortable, strong and light'.

What's In The Range?

The collection includes a waterproof shell, an insulated belay-type jacket, warm layers, soft shells, rucksacs and a bivi bag.

For example, the new Solipsist jacket - below - is a waterproof shell designed specifically for multi-pitch climbing. It uses tough Gore-Tex Cassis and Lofoten XCR fabrics for wear resistance, with added thermo-moulded PU protection to add reinforcement to the shoulder area.

Seams are micro-taped to save weight, arms are cut to minimise restriction on arm lift and articulated sleeves up mobility. To keep things dry in the worst conditions, the new Gasket Cuff double seal system claims to prevent water from running down your sleeves when climbing in rain.

There's a clean front and a helmet-sized hood too as you'd expect.

Backing that up is the Asylum Belay Parka which uses different weights of Primaloft insulation in body, sleeves and hoods plus both waterproof inner and outer shells so it can be slipped over any jacket, wet or dry.

Reflective prints on hood and cuffs allow you to spot your partner at night and it can be combined with the Gore-Tex 0.5 Bivvy Bag which uses Primaloft insulation in the lower half for spartan but completely waterproof insulation.

On the clothing front, there are also a pair of softshell pants, one Schoeller, one using a mix of Gore-Tex Softshell and XCR, both with strategic reinforcements for high wear resistance.

To complement the clothing, there's a pair of bags. The Rak day sac and the Squealer Haul Bag pictured. Both have been toughened up using 'Kefal', a Cordura/Kevlar mix fabric with a ceramic coating ideal for dragging over rocks...

The Rak has removable racking bandoliers, removable chest strap and hip belt and a two-litre hydration bladder sleeve, while the Squealer features waterproof roll-top closure, fold-away shoulder straps, removable hip-belt and a back-panel cover flap for a smooth hauling profile.

It probably hasn't escaped your notice that the UK isn't exactly swarming with specialist big wall climbers and most of the ones there are, are probably already using sponsored gear.

Of course you can use the new Big Wall stuff - particularly the clothing - for more than just big walls. Traditional UK multi-pitch routes, for example, would probably suit the clothing, the belay jacket may turn out to be a great Scottish winter option and so on.

Equally though, Big Wall is the Berghaus way of saying to the world, look, we can still make cutting edge technical clothing in the way that, say, a major mainstream car brand might also churn out a radical sports car just because it can. That Vauxhall that's really a Lotus anyone?

You can expect a lot of advertising in the next few months as Big Wall appears in the shops and we'll be taking a look at samples in the flesh shortly.

More about the Berghaus Big Wall range at www.berghaus.com