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.
Waterproofing...
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.
Warmth
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.
Packs and Bags
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.
What's It For?
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
