MILLET TRILOGY JOURNAL ENGLISH by MILLET MOUNTAIN

TRILOGY JOURNAL

ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

WELCOME TO THE VERTICAL DIMENSION After the Grandes Jorasses, the ‘‘Millet Trilogy’’ spirit is radiating on the Eiger, in the heart of Switzerland. Its north face, at 1800m the highest in the Alps, still exerts an irresistible pull on mountaineers. Of that, Millet is convinced. Which is why, in July 2015, the brand signed an exclusive partnership with the prestigious local guides company. And then, five months later, pitched its base camp in Grindelwald, at the foot of this “great spearhead”. Since 2009, Millet has also built strong ties with the Chamonix Guides Company, whose mountain experts all share the same high standards with regard to their sporting disciplines, to human values, and to respect for their playground. Indeed, Millet draws on their experience in its field tests and for product innovation and development. Millet thus wished to bring together, on this mythical summit, a Franco-Swiss rope team of two guides: local lad Lorenz Frutiger and Louis Laurent, adopted son of Chamonix. Their objective: revisit this mythical face in order to discover what makes it great, to embrace its verticality pitch by pitch, and to share the myth of the Eiger. A tremendous place to meet…

BONJOUR

THE NW RIDGE OF THE EIGER AND THE NORTH FACE IN THE SHADE

Shutterstock

FACE TO FACE

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Photography by J O N G R I F F I T H

Louison at the base of the Japanese-route pillar. Lorenz on the mixed terrain above the same pillar. The imposing northwest ridge of the north face.

THE EIGER RISES STRAIGHT ABOVE GRINDELWALD. TOGETHER WITH THE MÖNCH AND THE JUNGFRAU, IT FORMS A LOFTY BARRIER WITH A DISTINCTIVE PYRAMID-LIKE SHAPE. THE EIGER HAS FORGED ITSELF A SPECIAL STATUS AMONG THE GREAT SUMMITS OF THE ALPS. ITS NORTH FACE IS AN ENDLESS SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND EXPLOITS – A BENCHMARK FOR EVERY MOUNTAINEER. FOR SUCH A FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE MOUNTAINS, YOU MUST BE PHYSICALLY AND TECHNICALLY READY, BUT ALSO IN GOOD COMPANY. WITH MORE THAN 30 DAYS’ CLIMBING ON THE CRAG UNDER HIS BELT, LORENZ FRUTIGER IS THE EIGER SPECIALIST. HE AGREED TO SHARE HIS LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WITH LOUIS LAURENT, A GUIDE FROM CHAMONIX. FIRST-TIME MEETING Louis has just driven four hours to meet his future rope-team companion, before two days’ climbing on the mythical north face. Although he had already made one trip here, to test himself on the 1600m face up the 1938 Route, opened by Heckmaier, he does not know exactly what Lorenz Frutiger has in store for him. Lorenz is a local lad who grew up in Grindelwald and finally followed in the footsteps of his mountain-guide father. Over the past ten years, he has made the Eiger his favorite playground – combining trips, selected portions of routes, and all kinds of climbing. They have arranged to meet in the Millet brand’s new base camp in Grindelwald: the guides’ bureau, which also serves as a shop, stocking all the necessary equipment. It is also the meeting-place where mountaineers and climbers gather for coffee. The atmosphere inside is warm and authentic, with a wood-and-stone interior that exudes a mountain spirit. And you naturally receive a convivial welcome. 11am: Lorenz has settled in quietly on the banquette next to the window. He knows that his new climbing companion will arrive soon. To date they have only

exchanged a few emails; Lorenz has not yet heard the sound of Louis’s voice. He has, of course, been curious and professionally conscientious enough to look up some details about him. A member of the Chamonix Guides Company since 2007, Louis was previously a ski instructor, a mason in the summer months, and also a refuge caretaker. As for Lorenz, the call of the mountains came late to Louis, and meanwhile he learned another trade. But these two men’s passion for verticality swept everything before it. For the past 10 years, climbing has been both job and hobby: they have combined trips with clients, journeys to crags worldwide, and expeditions at every latitude and altitude. They may not know each other yet, but they have much in common: the same values, real professional ethics, and a deep respect for the mountains. Louis walks into the bureau, accompanied by Bertrand Delapierre, an excellent mountaineer and mountain film maker. Lorenz greets them. “My friends call me Louison,” offers the newcomer readily. After chatting for an hour, the three mountaineers decide to go for a recce at the foot of the face. A five-minute walk takes them to Grund railway station, at the lower end of the village. As the Jungfrau train winds between the hills, the gradient stiffens, reaching about 25%. The train climbs, and the landscapes roll slowly by. The mountaineers’ eyes are seeking out the summit, but thick cloud cover is still masking their object of desire. Half an hour later, the train reaches Kleine Scheidegg, at 2061 meters altitude. There is a crowd of Japanese tourists on the platform, ready to ride back down into the valley. This mountaineering mecca is also a renowned tourist destination thanks to the Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. Louison, Lorenz and Bertrand make an eye-catching exit with their alpinists’ backpacks. They steer left, leave the station, and head towards the Hotel Bellevue des Alpes. Since 1840, the hotel has stood in an ideal location, in a panoramic setting at the Scheidegg pass, with an unrivalled view of the Eiger. From this vantage-point, observers have been able to witness some of the most

beautiful and the most tragic stories in mountaineering, playing out in real time. Having finally reached the foot of the Eiger, they wait fifteen minutes for the cloud to break, thus revealing a breathtaking view of the north face in all its splendor.

FASCINATION AND RESPECT As they behold the spectacle, the two mountaineers’ eyes are glistening. Thus begins a detailed description of each line. Over many years of mountaineering feats, more than thirty routes have been created. The best-known is obviously the landmark route opened in 1938 by Heckmaier, winding his way up the face. Lorenz runs through each route, named after its first ascensionist(s). The finest alpinists of each generation, operating at the top of their game, have come here to consign their names to posterity: Harlin, Lauper, Messner, Piola, Ghilini… Every nation has wanted to display the excellence of its mountaineers: Poles, Czechs, Russians and Japanese… The Japanese Direttissima, opened in 1970, is a magnificent vertical line – one of the most direct. Lorenz has decided to take his companion to hook wield their ice-axes on the upper part of the route. A look at this line stirs mixed feelings: fascination and excitement, respect and humility. “For a mountaineer, the fascination lies in testing yourself against the difficulty of a peak. Even after more than thirty days’ climbing on this face, I feel deeply respectful and very humble every time,” says Lorenz. The north face of the Eiger is truly awe-inspiring. Tackling it for the first time, one feels profound modesty. Louison and Lorenz, after talking extensively, now fall silent, and gaze at the face a few minutes longer. They know that tomorrow, the serious stuff begins.

FACE TO FACE

RISE UP Thursday December 3, 7am, Grindelwald base camp. Minus three degrees Celsius. The clear sky heralds a fine day, and the air is dry and cold. The unsettled weather has finally given way to a stable anticyclone, which will hold for the coming days – as Lorenz knows; venturing up the mythical wall is not to be taken lightly. The packs were buckled the night before, with the bare minimum. 7.15am. They walk briskly to the station, as the first train leaves in five minutes. Before it sets off, Lorenz goes to see the driver and asks him to drop them half-way – it’s a common practice. Many mountaineers access the wall via the Stollenloch, literally “the thief hole”, which was actually a window for workmen to discard rock debris when the tunnel was being built in 1912. It now provides an easy point of access to the north face, and a “comfortable” fallback solution. The train comes to a stop, and the two mountaineers alight swiftly. The window, located one-third of the way up the wall, is totally blocked by snow. It takes Lorenz a few minutes to clear the way. Then the duo get down to business. Lorenz begins the ascent on lead. Both fine

mountaineers, they understand their partner’s every move. Each is reassured by his partner. The snow on the first pitches is perfect, and they make rapid progress. The team veers slightly to the right, seeking out lines of weakness, to connect with the Japanese Direttissima. Now they are progressing with modern alpine techniques over mixed rock-and-ice terrain. In these sections, every foothold must be made to count. The grade is about M5. Each movement takes them a little further into the vertical dimension. But despite all the experience of these two mountain professionals, their progress is slower than expected. As they noted the day before, the wall is fairly dry, with scant ice. It is hard to find good anchors for protection. The limestone rock is of poor quality, and has a tendency to crumble. “I climbed this section quite a few years ago, but I don’t recall the rock being so bad,” says Lorenz. correc VF: En grands alpinistes, ils ont su déchiffrer tous les gestes de leur partenaire. Despite the terrific atmosphere on the north face, there is tangible tension. Several falls of stone clatter and echo their way down the wall. Fortunately, the two mountaineers are getting on famously. Lorenz tells Louison about the art of using cams in this very particular type of terrain. What works a treat in the perfect cracks in Chamonix’s granite does not

ON THESE SECTIONS, EVERY FOOTHOLD MUST BE MADE TO COUNT. THE GRADE IS ABOUT M5.

necessarily apply in the Eiger’s limestone. “You have to put cams in cracks at very specific places, where the rock closes up. It’s a feature of climbing the Eiger,” explains Lorenz. To secure an old piton as an anchor, Louison hammers it a few times, and some adjacent rock shatters. Thankfully, they are able to progress and belay themselves more easily in the ice. A few more pitches and it is Louison’s turn to lead. Further up, the rock is slightly better. The wall is steeper now, and the climbing more difficult; the level of concentration is higher, too. Louison is forced to climb bare-handed to gain purchase on the holds. Some sections of the wall are as tough as 8a. The two men meet up at the belay, and congratulate each other. It’s time to go back down. They have spent nearly seven hours on the face, climbing together purely for pleasure. They have functioned really well as a team, attuned in their human values, commitment and respect. “I’ve really enjoyed our time together, it was fantastic,” says Lorenz. “It’s been good to get to know Louison and climb with him.” After this first immersive experience on the Japanese Direttissima, they are keen to return and climb together again, and maybe do the whole route...

ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL Words by P A T R I C E F O L L I E T

Louison exiting the pillar on the Japanese route.

THE FINEST MOUNTAINEERS OF EVERY GENERATION HAVE COME TO THE EIGER TO CONSIGN THEIR NAMES TO POSTERITY: HARLIN, LAUPER, MESSNER, PIOLA, GHILINIâ&#x20AC;¦

Lorenz and Louison clear the famous Stollenloch window.

Eiger NORDwand ENDURING SAGA

6 Shutterstock

EIGER NORDWAND AND YET THE EIGER HAD BECOME AN ICONIC SUMMIT, WHOSE NAME IS RESPECTFULLY SPOKEN EVERYWHERE. IT OWES ITS FAME TO ITS HISTORY, TO THE STORIES WRITTEN BY THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SOUGHT TO RISE UP IT.

YOU LEAVE WARMTH, LIGHT AND SOUND BEHIND. AND, A FEW MOMENTS LATER, FIND YOURSELF IN S I L E N C E , S H A D E , C O L D , S O L I T U D E , D O U B T A N D E XPOSURE. THAT’S THE MAGIC OF THE EIGER. Christophe Profit

This 3970m high summit was first ascended in 1858, without causing a stir – mountaineers still had many 4000ers to conquer. Christian Almer, from Grindelwald, was one of those men who is forever gazing upward. With his colleague Peter Bohren he took a young Englishman, Charles Barrington, to scale for the first time the mountain towering over his village. Almer would go on to become one of the finest guides in history, one of those who laid the foundations of the profession and forged its image.

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This mountain, which would become a star in the following century, aroused little interest initially. The east arête, known as the Mittellegi Ridge, was only climbed in 1921, by Fritz Amatter, Samuel Brawand and Fritz Steuri, all Grindelwald men, and their client Yuko Maki. Back then, it was rare for a Japanese to visit the Alps; thirty-five years later, Maki led the expedition that conquered the difficult Manaslu (8,163m). The spectacular ridge soon became a classic for topdrawer mountaineers. It dominates the northeast face, a sheer icy slope. Hans Lauper and Alfred Zürcher embarked up this toboggan run in 1932 with their guides, Alexander Graven and Josef Knubel, and opened the first route up the Eiger’s vast northern flank. Lauper, from the Berne area, was particularly active on the crags of the Oberland, and also FA’d the north faces of the Mönch (4,107m) and the Jungfrau (4,157m). Together with these two summits, the Eiger forms a tall barrier, visible from the Interlaken uplands; in those parts, it is known as the Oberland “Trilogy”. Thus was Hans Lauper first to achieve a “Trilogy” including the Eiger…

Words by C L A U D E G A R D I E N

THE OGRE’S FACE The Lauper route goes up the left-hand part of the north flank, with a northeast exposure. To its right, in easy view of the resort’s telescopes, and exuding drama, the 1,600m north face would thunder onto the mountaineering scene. The attempts began in 1934. The wall was identified as the highest in the Alps, and young alpinists from Germany and Austria, trained in modern climbing techniques in the limestone massifs of the Eastern Alps, arrived in Grindelwald. Right from the off, the Eigerwand, “the wall of the Eiger”, wrote its own script. In 1935 and 1936, a string of tragedies cast it in a malevolent legend. Every time, the sudden storms that formed on the face battered the climbing teams. Falling stones, thin ice, and snow turned this immense wall into a trap. The Eiger became “the Ogre”, although this translation of its name is incorrect (Eiger means “high place” in medieval German). The authorities in Berne issued a ban on climbing it, but that did little to dampen mountaineers’ fervour. In 1937, when Matthias Rebitsch and Ludwig Vörg approached the face, only three Saxons, back in 1934, had survived their attempt. But Matthias “Hias” Rebitsch and Ludwig “Wiggerl” Vörg were among the most skilled technicians in the Alps, and among the most experienced too. On the difficult summit of Ushba, in the Caucasus Mountains, Vörg had earned the nickname “king of the bivouac”. They progressed very high up the face, higher than anyone. And once again, a storm descended. Swallowed by thick cloud, the two mountaineers vanished from the view of the tourists clustered behind the telescopes. But they calmly beat their retreat, thus breaking the curse of the Eiger, and were the first men able to report what the north face was like.

Anderl Heckmair. Ludwig Vorg©Claude Gardien

The train at Klein scheidegg with the Eiger North Face in the background at dawn.

THE LAST THREE PROBLEMS OF THE ALPS Andreas Heckmair, known as “Anderl”, was verging on depression. A guide and ambitious mountaineer, he dreamed of being among those to scale one of the north faces which, in his view, represented the “last three problems of the Alps”. The north face of the Matterhorn had been conquered in 1931, and that of Les Grandes Jorasses in 1935. Only the Eigerwand was left. He made contact with Rebitsch, but in 1938 Rebitsch was heading to the Himalayas. Anderl teamed up with Vörg: this time, everything clicked. Vörg confirmed what Heckmair had intuited from a distance: the difficulties on the north face were mainly ice-related. Using the first front-pointed crampons, they were able to move faster over the ice. Thanks to this new equipment, they caught up with an Austrian team who had set off the day before: Fritz Kasparek and Heinrich Harrer were strong mountaineers, but it was Heckmair who took command when, as usual, a storm crashed down on the wall. For posterity, he would be the man of the Eiger. On July 24, 1938, the north face was scaled after four days of desperate efforts. The “last three problems of the Alps” had been solved. They would be the alpha and omega of the new generation of mountaineers who looked to the Alps after the war. In 1947, Louis Lachenal and Lionel Terray, both guides in Chamonix, made the second ascent of the north face. They did so two weeks ahead of Oberland guides Hans and Karl Schlunegger, who did number three with Gottfried Jermann – the first ascent where guides took a client along! Hans Schlunegger, a great guide, had been one of the rare guides to carry out dramatic north-face rescues in the ‘30s. For a long time, the Eiger remained the greatest Alpine climb, attracting the world’s finest mountaineers. They all dreamed of notching up the “three north faces”. In the early ‘60s, winter and solo ascents were the thing. In January 1961, Germans Toni Hiebeler, Walter Almberger, Anderl Mannhard and Toni Kinshofer staged the first-ever winter ascent of the Eigerwand, in six days. An “incredible feat”, said Lionel Terray. In 1963, an elegant and low-key Swiss guide, Michel Darbellay, soloed the north face, in a no-frills, incident-free ascent lasting seventeen hours.

photography by J O N G R I F F I T H

Eric Escoffier during 1987 Trilogy attempt

8 EIGER NORDWAND

THE TRILOGY These two seminal performances would give rise, twenty-five years later, to an incredible contest. In the late ‘70s, the Japanese Tsuneo Hasegawa and Frenchman Ivano Ghiradini were vying for winter-solo supremacy on the “last three problems”. In 1985, Christophe Profit completed the solo summer enchainment of what was now called “the Trilogy”, in less than twenty-four hours. On his path, another challenge now loomed large: the same enchainment, but in winter. A rival came on the scene. Eric Escoffier was talented and quick, like Profit. The media stoked the pressure, and the head-to-head lasted two winters. In 1987, Profit completed the winter solo enchainment of the “Trilogy”, thus adding a chapter to the Eiger’s legend: the myth of the Trilogy was born. It is this myth that Millet celebrates with its Trilogy range, which, in its excellence, reminds us of the exacting demands set by this now-historic challenge, where the brand already featured: thirty years ago, Eric Escoffier wore a revolutionary suit for his attempts on the winter Trilogy. THE MODERN EIGER A new era began on the face in 1966. John Harlin, an American with movie-star looks, dreamed of opening up a direct route. He gathered three of the finest British and American mountaineers, and chose winter to avoid stonefalls. Then a strong German team through its hat in the ring: once again, the race for the Eiger was on. After John Harlin fell, the casualty of a fixed rope that broke, the two teams made common cause and completed the direttissima, naming it after him.

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In 1966, there were thus two routes up the north face. Today, about thirty routes in all styles streak the photos in Eiger guide books. After the Harlin route, other direttissima routes were opened up; but all were long, challenging, complex. Then, in the late ‘70s, mountaineers spotted beautiful pillars of compact limestone on the right-hand side of the north face. Michel Piola, who revolutionised climbing in the Mont Blanc Massif, created several modern and demanding routes there. Today, other climbs with a strong Alpine flavour feature difficulties up to 8a. They are mostly the work of Swiss climbers, steeped in the Eiger ambience and beguiled by its starkness. The 8a grade is found in the centre of the north face: the great direttissimas are free-climbed. Thus was the Japanese

Direttissima “freed” by two local climbers, Robert Jasper and Roger Schäli, both north-face activists in the 2000s. The rock reaches the eighth degree of difficulty in the middle of a 1,600m high route. The great winter routes have also been updated: the direttissimas, often opened in winter with fixed ropes, were now free-climbed. The Direttissima Trilogy has already been completed, in 2009, in one winter, by Patrice Glairon-Rappaz and Cédric Périllat-Merceroz. And its solo winter enchainment was attempted by Lionel Daudet… The 1938 route has not aged one bit. Nowadays it is tackled in winter or spring, when covered with transformed snow, using modern mixed-climbing techniques. The old drama is still present in the thoughts of north-face candidates, but modern alpinism, with its developments in skills and gear, has found the solutions to address this superlative route with peace of mind. Which is how the latest speed records have been set. Ueli Steck sparkled on the face; then Dani Arnold cut Steck’s time by 20 minutes, to two hours 28… For everyone – high-calibre athletes or mountaineers classically repeating the route opened by Heckmair and his companions – emerging from the north face, and discovering the immense sunlit glaciers of the Oberland as you take your last steps along the airy Mittellegi Ridge, remains an intensely exhilarating memory. The Eiger has always stayed centre-stage. In summer 2015, the toughest route up the face was created by an international team comprising a German, a Swiss and an Italian – a fine symbol. Twenty-first century alpinism has found in this face one of the settings most conducive to self-expression. It remains a source of inspiration for the world’s finest mountaineers. Animated by a force that drives them to imagine and to undertake (the famous RISE UP spirit identified by Millet), they craft some of the hardest routes in the Alps. For some mountaineers, they are laboratories that help stretch their sights further, higher, towards the great faces of the Himalayas.

Words by C L A U D E G A R D I E N

EIGERWAND

MOUNTAINEERING FOREVER, EIGER FOREVER

8. 6. 2.

TACKLING THIS FACE FOR THE FIRST TIME, ONE FEELS PROFOUND MODESTY

7. 3.

Lorenz Frutiger

1. MITTELEGGIGRAT : Yuko Maki, Fritz Amatter, Fritz Steuri, Samuel Brawand, 1921, D. 2. VOIE LAUPER : Hans Lauper, Alexander Graven, Josef Knubel, Alfred Zürcher, 1932, TD. 3. VOIE HECKMAIR : Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Fritz Kapasrek, Heinrich Harrer, 1938, ED. 4. HARLIN DIRECT : Chris Bonington, Karl Golikow, Peter Haag, John Harlin, Dougal Haston, Siegfried Hupfauer, Layton Kor, Jörg Lehne, Rolf Rosenzopf, Günther Schnaidt, Günther Strobel, Roland Votteler, 1966.

5. JAPANESE DIRECT : Amano, Imai, Kato, Kato, Kubo, Negishi, 1969, 8b. En libre : Robert Jasper, Roger Schäli, 2009, 5.13b. 6. LES PORTES DU CHAOS : Gérard Hopfgartner et Michel Piola, 1979. 7. DIRECTISSIME GHILINI-PIOLA : René Ghilini, Michel Piola, 1983. 6a, A3. En libre : Robert Jasper, Roger Schäli, 2013, 7c+. 8. ODYSSEE : Roger Schaeli, Robert Jasper and Simon Gietl, 2015. 8a+, 1400m.

LORENZ ON RUN OUT MIXED GROUND WITH LOUISON BELAYING ON THE TOP OF THE JAPANESE PILLAR

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LORI & LOUISON Twin portraits of two experienced and dedicated guides, just back from the Eiger’s North Face

LORENZ FLUTIGER

Swiss - Aged 35 Mountain Guide in Grindelwald www.purealpine.ch

LOUIS LAURENT

French - Aged 35 Mountain Guide in Chamonix www.chamonix-guides.com

WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND? lorenz : I grew up in Grindelwald, and I’ve been a professional mountain guide since 2005. My father has also been working as a guide in the Alps for 30 years. He has travelled extensively, so I’ve been exposed to the guide’s profession since I was a child. But I caught the climbing bug when I was about 18, and I’ve been climbing intensively ever since. For the past 10 years, it’s been a particularly strong passion. I have two sons and one of them is two-and-a-half years old, which uses up a fair bit of time and energy. louis : I’ve lived in the Chamonix valley since I was 15. I come from a small mountain range in Auvergne called the Massif Central, where I began by skiing and had a fantastic time. Later, when I was about 18, I became interested in the mountains and developed a passion for them. I’ve had a bulimic appetite for mountain disciplines ever since. Once I get tired of working as a guide, I’ll go back to being a ski instructor again. WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT GUIDING? lorenz : The freedom to do what I want with my clients, the freedom to travel and see new places, to be outdoors, to feel the natural world around me. We’re always outside, and often alone, especially when it comes to taking decisions and being responsible for our clients, so it’s a very demanding job. Guiding clients properly isn’t always straightforward – you have to be able to arrange the right excursion at the right time, so that it motivates the client but isn’t too difficult either. Being close to your clients is often pleasant, but can get tricky if conditions or the weather are difficult. louis : The intense workload I currently have as a guide, being out all the time, is something I enjoy enormously, and takes up a great deal of energy. I now have the skillset to take people onto fairly technical types of terrain. Over the years, I’ve built up a network of clients that gives me professional fulfilment. What I like about my job is having freedom of expression – unlike many occupations, I don’t have a boss. My network of clients trust me, and it means I can tailor trips to mountain and weather conditions. I offer them various options and let them choose, depending how fit they’re feeling. They appreciate not having to think about it. Lorenz and I were joking about it on the train journey back down. With our clients, we practise “soft manipulation” to steer them towards the excursions we fancy. That’s a big motivator for us, while ensuring our clients are never disappointed. When the north faces get dangerous because the weather’s warming up, it’s time to switch to rock pillars or ridges in the sun. And that’s the way I love the mountains – choosing the best

photography by J O N G R I F F I T H

available playground, depending on the weather and conditions. WHICH MOUNTAINEERS HAVE INSPIRED YOU MOST? lorenz : When I was young, I was inspired by two mountaineers. One is Edy Bohrin, he’s a Grindelwald guide who’s been working for 40 years with the same passion. I’ve always been in awe of him. The other is Walter Bonatti, who introduced me to the sport through his mountain books. His boundless determination to realize his projects has been an example to me. louis : Without hesitation I’d say Gaston Rebuffat, he’s been a big role model for me. His book “The Hundred Finest Routes” was my bedside book for several years. As I don’t come from the mountain-sports community, I needed reference points, and the progress curve he provides is just fantastic. The Central Pillar of Freney seemed totally beyond my reach, I thought I’d never set foot on it. And then one fine day, that’s where I found myself!

MOUNTAINS ARE ACCESSIBLE – IT’S JUST A MATTER OF WILLPOWER Louis laurent

WHAT’S YOUR PHILOSOPHY IN THE MOUNTAINS? lorenz : For me, what matters most is the challenge – achieving my objective but also learning to understand myself and getting to know other people well. The overall process keeps us developing over the long term. What’s important isn’t how high the summits are, it’s increasingly our relationship with solitude, far from the crowds and people in general, in the remoteness of the mountains, deep in the wilderness. I think that it’s deeply rooted in our genes to climb and to change perspective, to see what things look like from up top, from another angle. Louis: The tremendous thing about the mountains is that they’re accepting of everyone. Children and adults, beginners and proficient athletes can really have fulfilling experiences, provided they make the right decisions in line with their skills. In my view, the mountains are accessible – It’s just a matter of willpower. And mountain sports are one of the few times when we unplug our brain from all interfering thoughts. You leave your phone and emails behind. You have to focus your concentration on being balanced in action, on living the moment. Otherwise, it’s very simple: you fall...

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Stretch comfort just feels so good! This soft Gore-Tex® jacket accommodates free movement and its design enhance mobility. Its Primaloft Silver insulation delivers a great protection in cold weather. The powder skirt creates a barrier against snow without losing mobility on alpine ascents. Average weight: 1,030 kg

Warm and light protective jacket introducing the new waterproff concept : Gore Thermium® 2 layers. Insulation mixing Primaloft® yarns & merino wool. Natural wicking properties of wool. Adjustable helmet-compatible hood . Average weight: 0,740 kg

ACTION SHELLS K E P T I T S W E A R E R M O V I N G , D R Y, AND WARM. HIGHLY BREATHABLE & WINDPROOF

Adjustable hood. Protective visor Panoramic vision

16 Double slider water repellent zip

Ergonomic pre-shaped cut

TRILOGY LIMITED SERIES ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL

TRILOGY GORE WDS JKT Our new ultra ligh, welded, action jacket to climb fast. Gore WindstopperÂ® 3 layers with light rain resistance offering very high resistance and unrivaled comfort. 3 zipped pockets, adjustable hem and collar. Average weight : 0.370 kg

LORENZ BELAYING LOUISON ON THE TOP OF THE JAPANESE PILLAR TRILOGY STORM WOOL HOODIE Action jacket in Element Shield速 Flywool designed for hard and commited alpine climbs. Wool lining provides natural warmth. Sport ergonomics for free-flowing movement, breathable, abrasion resistant. Average weight: 0,620 kg

TRILOGY STORM WOOL PANT Dual Tech build for comfort and ruggedness : Element Shield速 Flywool + Schoeller速 Wool panels + Hardtexd速 reinforcement. Waistband with removable & adjustable braces. Preformed knees. Side meshed zip vents. Average weight: 0,705 kg

THERMAL LAYERS A REVOLUTION IN WEAVING TECHNOLOGY

SYNTHESISâ&#x201E;¢ CONSTRUCTION SEAMLESS WATER RESISTANT DOWNPROOF & WINDPROOF

TRILOGY LIMITED SERIES ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL

An exclusive seamless double weave complex, creates a new generation of insulation baffle-box. It provides efficient downproofness, more lightness and guarantees a better thermal comfort.

DOWN

TRILOGY SYNTHESIS DOWN HOODIE

TRILOGY SYNTHESIS DOWN JACKET

Lightweight, compressible, insulated jacket designed for technical mountaineering and modern alpine ascents. Exclusive synthesis construction. Adjustable hood. 4 zipped pockets. Average weight: 0,495 kg

Lightweight, compressible, insulated jacket designed for technical mountaineering. Exclusive Synthesis concept: seamless baffles for warmth and a new level of water repellency. Sport ergonomics; wear by itself or as a mid layer. 2 zipped pockets. Average weight: 0,430 kg

TRILOGY DUAL PRIMALOFT HOODIE

TRILOGY DUAL ADVANCED JACKET

Ideal for high mountain activities and severe cold, this thermal jacket stays ultra-warm in all conditions. The K DRY™ finish applied to the down creates a water-repellent barrier, ensuring it stays light and thermally efficient, even in wet conditions. Average weight: 0,520 kg

A new-generation insulated jacket. Lightweight, warm and benefiting from a DUAL TECH™ construction that weds PrimaLoft® and wool. The result: Comfort, unrivalled ease of movement, and excellent moisture wicking thanks to the wool’s natural qualities. Average weight: 0,490kg

THERMAL LAYERS 20 TRILOGY LIMITED SERIES

WOOL FORCE OF NATURE

ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL

WOOL OFFERING IS MILLETâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NATURAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOLUTION. FEATURING A HYBRID BUILD OF WOOL AND SYNTHETIC FIBERS, EACH STRUCTURE COMBINES OUTSTANDING NEXT-TO-SKIN COMFORT WITH SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE.

TRILOGY X WOOL JKT

TRILOGY FLEECE WOOL HOODIE

This latest-generation fleece delivers an excellent warmth-to-weight ratio. Polartec® Thermal Pro offers high fill power coupled with very good insulating performance. When this is paired with Power Wool, the resulting jacket achieves a high level of thermal efficiency and stands out with its stretch comfort.

Thermal control jacket in stretchy Polartec® Power Wool. Bi-face structure: smooth polyamide exterior for good abrasion resistance, and brushed-wool interior for warmth. In addition, the high proportion of Spandex® imparts optimum stretch comfort.

TRILOGY FLEECE WOOL PO

TRILOGY WOOL TS LS

The prime function of this Carline Wool blend 150 base layer is to optimize moisture wicking and body’s thermal control, so that it stays dry and warm - the basis of comfort.

TRILOGY WOMEN 22

P O L L Y H A R M E R photographed by J O N G R I F F I T H Mont Blanc massif - Cascade des Cosmiques

TRILOGY LIMITED WOMEN SERIES ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL

LADY TRILOGY GTX PRO JKT

LADY TRILOGY V ICON GTX PRO JKT

This protective jacket is built to deliver protection in even the foulest weather. GoreTex速 Pro is a reference material in weather protection: The waterproof breathable fabric protects you from wind, rain and snow. This 3-layer fabric is the most breathable of the Gore-Tex membranes and its outer face has enhanced durability while its inner face is lighter. Average weight: 0,515 kg

This protective jacket is built to deliver protection in even the foulest weather. Flex comfortTM construction. Gore-Tex Pro 3 layers. Average weight: 0,345 kg

LADY TRILOGY GTX STRETCH JKT

LADY TRILOGY GORE THERMIUM JKT

Stretch comfort just feels so good! This soft Gore-Tex速 jacket accommodates free movement and its design enhance mobility. Its Primaloft Silver insulation delivers a great protection in cold weather. The powder skirt creates a barrier against snow without losing mobility on alpine ascents. Average weight: 0,900 kg

Warm and light protective jacket introducing the new waterproff concept : Gore Thermium速 2 layers. Insulation mixing Primaloft速 yarns & merino wool. Natural wicking properties of wool. Adjustable helmet-compatible hood . Average weight: 0,695 kg

Action photography by J O N G R I F F I T H

TRILOGY WOMEN 2.

TRILOGY LIMITED WOMEN SERIES ISSUE FALL WINTER 16.17

TRILOGY JOURNAL

DEDICATED TO COMMITTED WOMEN 1. LD TRILOGY STORM WOOL HOODIE 2. LD TRILOGY SYNTHESIS DOWN 4. LD TRILOGY PRIMLAOFT HOODIE 5. LD TRILOGY DUAL ADVANCED JKT 7. LD TRILOGY FLEECE WOOL HODDIE 8. LD TRILOGY FLEECE WOOL PO

3. LD TRILOGY DOWN BLEND 6. LD TRILOGY X WOOL JKT 9. LD TRILOGY WOOL TS LS

TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE, THE FINEST M AT E R I A L S A R E S E L E C T E D I N C O M P L E M E N TA R Y, COMPATIBLE COMBINATIONS

BE BOLD, GO HYBRID A new-generation insulated jacket. Lightweight, warm and benefiting from a DUAL TECH™ construction that weds PrimaLoft® and wool. The result: Comfort, unrivalled ease of movement, and excellent moisture wicking thanks to the wool’s natural qualities.

NEVER HESITATE TO SHAKE UP HABITS

MIP0035 0946 - ENGLISH MILLET 21, rue du PrÃ© Faucon, PAE Les Glaisins 74943 ANNECY LE VIEUX cedex FRANCE Tel : +33 (4) 50 69 59 59 / Fax : +33 (4) 50 69 59 60

WWW. MILLET.FR

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