It's happy
birthday to north east-based clothing and equipment legends
Berghaus.
Come February, the British company, curiously named after an
Austrian rest room - just kidding, it's actually a mountain hut, we
think - celebrates its 40th anniversary and an astonishing
heritage.
From humble beginning at the LD Mountain Centre in Newcastle, the
brand's become an international success with its products intertwined
with the careers of some of Britain's best-known climbers and
mountaineers.
Most recently of course, Alan Hinkes completed the first British
ascent of all 14 of the world's 8,000-ers using the company's gear,
but it's hard to picture Chris Bonington without an obligatory
Berghaus fleece or shell, and young tyro Leo Houlding has been
ripping up the crags and big walls adorned in Bergy kit.
And of course the good old Trango Extrem was as good as a uniform
for a whole generation of 90s mountaineers, it's no surprise then,
that Simpson and Yates were wearing Berghaus during the whole
Touching The Void epic. You can just about make out the jacket in
this still from the film.
With
the success of the company, it's easy to forget that they've been
responsible for some innovative developments. The company was one of
the first to use Gore-Tex fabric in the UK and Europe, its Extrem
Light range was one of the first examples of a major brand 'getting'
the lightweight revolution and the Yeti Gaiter is still one of the
most effective winter products out there.
Things haven't stopped there either. The Bioflex pack system is a
genuinely innovative and effective devlopment that has real benefits
to the user, particularly on uneven ground and we're sure there's
more in the pipeline.
You'll be hearing more about the happy occasion soon with a
birthday advertising campaign, competition and commemorative products
appearing in store plus birthday celebrations promised on the
Berghaus stand at the NEC Outdoor Show in March - your chance to
share some cake with Hinkes and Bonington maybe :-)
So, happy birthday from us and we'll keep you clued in when the
balloons start appearing...
More about Berghaus at www.berghaus.com
