One of the world's leading climbers and adventurers, Leo Houlding started working with Berghaus at the age of 17. Alongside Sir Chris Bonington, he is one of the longest serving members of the company's team of sponsored climbers. His profile has risen fast in recent years, on the back of a series of spectacular expeditions, many of which have been turned into award winning films.

In 2009, Leo embarked on the Asgard Project and in the process started to play a much bigger role in the development of Berghaus products. During his climb of Mount Asgard on Baffin Island, Leo tested prototypes for a new climbing garment as part of a new Berghaus innovation team called MtnHaus. The resulting style, the Mount Asgard Smock, is now a flagship product in the Berghaus range. Under the terms of the new contract, Leo will maintain a close involvement in the design, development and testing of the company's most technical kit.

Leo Houlding commented:

“I've been associated with Berghaus for half of my life and I have always been grateful for the support that the company has given me, through good times and bad. I'm delighted that we have agreed this new long term contract. It allows me to press ahead with doing my thing, on my terms, with more security. It also gives me more opportunities to influence the development of new and even better products for me and my fellow climbers.”

Richard Cotter, Berghaus brand president, added:

“Leo has been an important and dynamic member of the Berghaus team for many years now. Calling the relationship a sponsorship agreement really doesn't do it justice. Like our chairman Sir Chris Bonington and our other athletes, Leo makes significant contributions to the business. His informed and constructive input into the product development process is paying real dividends, particularly for our MtnHaus team. Alongside that, Leo provides us with some wonderful stories and images that demonstrate what Berghaus means at its best and that have been the lifeblood of the brand for over 40 years. It's fantastic news that we've reached an agreement that will see Leo continuing to represent Berghaus and help shape our future success on a world stage.”