In the line of technical goose down sleeping bags, the Shocking Blue stands out in its own category. Nick named “Saint hot as hell” in the USA, this bag has always surprised its users, as it offers a performance that a bag in its category normally would not offer. Field test confirm that the bag can resist –25C (limit of comfort) with 781g of down and 1380g total weight.
So just for fun we just “SUPER SIZED”a Shocking Blue with a 30% increase in baffle height, from 7,5cm to 10cm, and hence the down load from 781g to 1041g. The total weight passes from 1380g to 1680g And, that is a BIG Bag!
Enough is not enough, so we rolled another one and “MAXIMIZED” a Shocking Blue with 60%. Baffle height from7,5cm to 12cm, and down load from 781g to 1249g and hence a total weight of 1951g.
The two bags will be presented at the OUTDOOR trade show in Friedrichshafen and later at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, and are due to replace the expedition bags Odin and Thor.
So to be well-prepared for the shows, Valandré will conduct a field test at the Mountain Festival with tent maker SlingFin from USA, putting 3 Odin NEO and 3 Thor NEO into field test on the massif and in altitude. 3 two men tents from SlingFin will be available for the test.
The object of the test is to get confirmation that the bags can resist –30C (Odin NEO) and –40C (Thor NEO). Naturally we do not expect these kind of temperatures in June in Chamonix, but testers will get a pretty good idea about the performance that they are expected to report back to us.
Valandre – Bifrost
High tech light weight short mountaineering down jacket. Replacing the Kiruna jacket in the Valandré product line. Compartment system: “Non down shift system” on body and arm section.
Cut: Totally articulated offering free arm movements. Anatomical bended sleeves.
Hood: Down filled hood, incorporated into the hood pocket in the collar.
Hood compartimation: 3 lower compartments, fixing the down against the
neck, and 3 top/hood compartments. Collar compartments: One compartment on the front of the collar on the left and right side. (See inside black liner fabric)
Body section compartments: 37 non shifts. (Total 45 compartments)
Pockets: Two “tunnel” hand warmers, sewn on to the inside liner fabric. Two inside breast pockets.
Fill weight: 250g gray fatty goose in the size Medium.
Total weight: 709g in the size Medium.
Zip system: YKK custom zip system in Open left for the US market and Open right for the EU market.
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Ralf Dujomovits and his wife Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner have successfully summited Denali in Alaska USA.
Ralf Dujomovits is the first German high altitude to buckle up the 14 highest 8000m peaks in the world. Out of the 14 only one was climbed using supplemental oxygen: Everest his first 8000. Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner from Austria has delivered the fundamental answer of who would become the first woman to equalize Reinhold Messner’s 14 8000 meters non oxygen climbs that ended in 1986. Both Ralf and Gerlinde practice high altitude non ox climbs, in what is known as alpine style. No porters to install the camps and carry the gear needed. You are on your own confronted by the challenge. Briefly the toughest kind of mountaineering in the World.
Gerlinde finished her last 8000m peak by shooting straight up the North pillar of K2 (The savage mountain) in the spring 2012, a memorable climb published in a 26 page article in National Geographic (You can find it here ). And in 2013 she was awarded adventurer of the year by National Geographic.
Denali — also known as Mount McKinley — is a pretty hard climb despite it is only a 6.194m peak (20.320ft). Its situation in Alaska makes it a very cold mountain to climb, and its location up in the northern hemisphere makes the oxygen conditions difficult compared to Everest.
Another difficulty is that the base starts out low, leaving a 5.486m climb to accomplish up to the summit in very cold conditions (-40° C at the summit).
Ralf and Gerlinde was kind enough to send us some photos from the climb, that we naturally want to share with the community. Both of them are totally committed to mountaineering which is a passion.
Sharing the passion is what it is all about.
Cette semaine, Ralf Dujmovits et Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner sont rentrés chez eux dans la forêt noire allemande après une session d’entrainement en Norvège.
Chez Valandré nous avons profité de leur séjour en Norvège pour leur confectionner une Combi customisée à chacun. Nous y avons brodé « Team Valandré » dans le dos et leur prénom sous le logo Valandré. Néanmoins le plus gros du boulot était de coudre les logos de leurs sponsors… vu le nombre de sponsors.
Ralf et Gerlinde étaient impatients d’essayer leur nouvelle combi avant leur prochain challenge et ils nous ont envoyés une photo. Pour nous, ils ont l’air… comment dire… des Professionnelles heureux! Incroyable, nous qui avons parcouru avec Ralf 13 des 14 8000 et tous les 8000 avec Gerlinde depuis qu’ils se sont rencontrés.
Cette fois, ils ont un but différent… Comme ils ont gravit tous les 8000 de leur challenge : l’arête de Cassin de Denali (McKinley) en Alaska est leur prochain sur la liste. Ils ont donc quitté le printemps Allemand pour se confronter au rude froid d’Alaska. On peut imaginer le buzz à leur arrivée au camp de base du Denali lorsqu’ils monteront leur tente !
L’arête de Cassin de Denali (McKinley) en Alaska (20.320ft/6773m)
Et la grande nouvelle pour nos amis du monde c’est que Ralf et Gerlinde seront présents à l’Outdoor Retailor Show de Salt Lake City au stand de Liberty Mountain. On ne peut donc que vivement conseiller à nos amis américains de ne pas louper la chance de rencontrer ces deux grandes personnes….
See you all at the OR!
Denali and the Cassin ridge (20.320ft/6773m)
Ralf Dujmovits and Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, returned from a training session in Norway this week to their home in the black forest in Germany.
During their stay in Norway we at Valandré cranked out two custom combi’s for both. We embroided “Team Valandre” across their backs using silver thread and placed their names under the Valandré logo, and sewed on their sponsor logos…..and that was the biggest job….there are so many of them.
Ralf and Gerlinde was kind enough to try the combi’s out before their next challenge and have today sent a photo of how it looks. To us they look….how can I put it….like happy professionals! Incredible we did 13 of the 14 8000’ers with Ralf and all Gerlinds remaining 8000 since she met Ralf.
This time they have a different aim, as they both have no 8000ers left to challenge: The Cassin Ridge on Denali in Alaska. They leave the German spring summer to challenge the rough and bitter cold in Alaska. I can imagine the buzz at the Denali BC as they set up their tent!
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And the big news to our friends worldwide is, that Ralf & Gerlinde will be present at this year’s OR show in SLC at the Liberty Mountain booth. I can only recommend to our US friends not to miss the chance to meet both in person……
See you all at the OR!
