Arc'teryx Equipment is proud to introduce the next generation of climbing harnesses. After three years of research and development, the new line represents a completely new genre of climbing harnesses that are dramatically lighter-weight, less bulky, suspiciously comfortable and equally as strong as its predecessors (continued below).

Traditionally, harness designs have focused on creating comfort and support through bulky foam padding and ineffective sew-on appliqués. Arc'teryx's patented new Warp Strength Technology (WST®) re-invents how ultimate comfort is achieved by evenly distributing load. Through the manipulation of structural materials, WST makes it possible to uniformly distribute weight through a thin and supple girdle. Consequently, the unified support eliminates the need for oversized padding to offset the discomfort caused by narrow load-bearing webbing. With , all the new harnesses weigh less than one pound and are extremely supple and thin—paradoxically providing levels of comfort and support previously seen as impossible.

Additional features include a new self-locking buckle, wear-safety marker located on the belay loop and tie-in points, interchangeable gear loops, state-of-the-art stretch-woven materials and laminated construction. A total of five new harnesses will be introduced with the spring 2008 product lineup. The new harness line will completely replace Arc'teryx's current climbing harness series.

The launch of the new harness line is also an important cultural and brand milestone for Arc'teryx. In 1991, the company that would become Arc'teryx Equipment built its inaugural product: a climbing harness. The harness and products that soon followed paved the way for what has become one of the most successful companies in the global outdoor industry. The new line represents a fifteen-year dedication to maintaining the best quality, highest performance climbing harnesses in the world.

You can learn more about the new range of Arc'teryx harnesses for 2008 at this special website: www.arcteryx.com/warp

Arc'teryx are distributed in the UK by Big Stone: www.bigstone.co.uk

Look out for more information about Arc'teryx harnesses at the UKClimbing.com Gear pages in the coming weeks.