On 7-8th December Berghaus held a Press Event to mark the launch of their Autumn/Winter '16 Extrem Range. Next year is a significant year for Berghaus, as it marks the 50th anniversary for the brand itself and - perhaps most importantly for climbers and mountaineers - the 30th anniversary of the highly regarded Extrem Range.

There have been many developments within Berghaus Headquarters over the past few of years, not just in terms of product development but also in terms of the building itself. Constructed in 1999 the premises has now gone through a complete refurbishment project (which began in 2014) and whilst no products are manufactured on site, much of the R&D, product and materials testing, and other specialist tasks are performed here in the North East.

Richard Leedham, Berghaus brand president, comments:

“This has been a major project for Berghaus and has had an impact on everyone who works for the business.  The team has coped extremely well with any disruption and we are delighted with the final outcome.  Here in North East England, we now have a world-class headquarters where we can continue to design and develop some of the best outdoor products on the planet.  As Berghaus heads towards its 50th birthday in 2016, we have an excellent base from which to plan for the next 50 years.”

Most interesting of all perhaps is that no rubbish goes to landfill from the new headquarters and it is 100% fuelled by renewable energy - well done Berghaus!

Moving on from the developments at Berghaus HQ comes the all important products we can expect to see next year, of which there are two that represent the flagship of the range: the 8000 Pro Jacket and the Ramche 2.0. Both having been spent several years in development, with Berghaus athlete Leo Houlding testing them throughout his recent ascent of Greenland's Mirror Wall (click here to read the UKC News Report) and Mick Fowler during his (first) ascent of Gave Ding (click here to read the UKC News Report).

 

Extrem Category Manager, Paul Cosgrove and members of the Berghaus Design Team took us through each feature with a blow-by-blow account of the process they had gone through in order to (finally) become a finished product. The tour included an in depth tour of their MtnHaus innovation team, that work on site to pursue specialist and technical projects, working closely with members of staff and athletes alike, and producing prototypes for the team to put through their paces.

Here is a more detailed outline of the fruit of their labour:

Extrem 8000 Pro Jacket

Berghaus believes that the new Extrem Pro 8000 is the most advanced mountaineering shell jacket now available.  It is made out of 3L GORE-TEX® Pro Shell, in a combination of two face fabrics.  Key wear areas around the hood, shoulders, hem and lower arms have an extremely durable 70D face.  The main body features an exclusive lightweight 40D face, developed in partnership with WL Gore especially for the range.  Not only is it extremely tough, but it also delivers outstanding water shedding performance, helping to maintain its light weight and breathability during extended use.

The Extrem Pro 8000 jacket includes the introduction of Berghaus’ new Xpanse™ concept, designed to provide the ultimate level of adaptable and adjustable garment technology for mountaineering.

• Xpanse Back - offers a new and unique approach to stretch and garment construction.  A storm proof box pleat and internal lightweight stretch mesh provide unrivalled freedom of movement across the back and shoulders, perfect for when reaching the harder moves.  Providing around 20% better freedom of movement than standard construction, the Xpanse™ Back also amplifies ventilation at the rear of the jacket.
• Xpanse Hood - Berghaus has used a system of magnets to allow the hood to expand for use with a helmet and then snap back into place when the helmet is not in use, delivering exceptional fit and weather protection in either state.  The wearer has simply to pull up the hood to expand it, and then release it to allow it to close.  The system uses less excess fabric, which also serves to reduce weight and improve comfort.
• Xpanse Faceguard - This front gusseted extra expansion panel with breather holes provides an option for additional protection over the mouth and nose during the most hostile conditions.

 

Ramche 2.0

Building on its predecessor’s success, the Ramche 2.0 is lighter, warmer and more durable.  Packed with genuine innovation, it is set to take mountaineering down to a new level.  Berghaus pioneered water resistant down with the launch of Hydrodown®, delivering sustained water resistant insulation performance in extreme conditions.  For autumn/winter 2016, Hydrodown® forms part of the Berghaus MADEKIND initiative and uses Nikwax’s PFC-free hydrophobic down, which provides water repellency during use for up to 16 hours.  All Berghaus down is also RDS certified to guarantee ethical sourcing, with consumers being able to use a product serial number to identify online exactly where the down in their jacket came from.

Mick Fowler used a sample of the Ramche 2.0 during his successful expedition to Gave Ding, and sent Berghaus this feedback:

• 

  Reflect Mesh - Reflect Mesh is a heat reflective technology that improves thermal efficiency by up to 10%.  The mesh, which has every fibre coated in aluminium in a permanent treatment, has been sewn into the core of the Ramche 2.0 and reflects heat back into the jacket without inhibiting breathability.  Extensive testing by Berghaus proved that locating the Reflect™ mesh in the core (sitting between the offset baffles) was more effective than lining the jacket with it, as a lining was too close to the body allow for noticeable heat reflection.
• 7d Fabric - The Berghaus materials team has developed a brand new face fabric for the Ramche 2.0.  A super-lightweight 7D 100% polyamide material (22g/m2), the material is windproof, water resistant, breathable and twice as strong as its predecessor.  It combines a 7D yarn for weight with a 30D ripstop yarn for strength, leading to a weight saving of 12%.
• Nikwax Hydrodown - The Ramche 2.0 uses 183g of 90/10 850 fill goose Hydrodown® and three zone bodymapping ensures the optimum distribution of the insulation, while offset baffles construction eliminates cold spots in the core of the body.  A crucial enhancement to the down comes in the form of new Reflect™ aluminium mesh.
• ​Certified by RDS (Responsible Down Standard) - ethical sourcing of materials
• Bluesign Approved