MHW's Ueli Steck Embarks on an Extreme Summer Vacation

MHW’s Ueli Steck Embarks on an Extreme Summer Vacation

The speedclimber is spending his summer summiting 82 of the Alps’ largest peaks

Richmond, Calif. (July 20, 2015) – Mountain Hardwear, creator of performance apparel and equipment that empowers outdoor athletes to live boldly, is pleased to support Ueli Steck as he takes on a summer vacation unlike any other; the speed-climber has set off on a quest to summit all 82 peaks in the Alps over 4,000 meters in 80 days.

Ueli set off with climbing partner Michael Wohlleben from Piz Bernina in Switzerland on June 10, with the goal of using only human power to traverse the Alps’ largest peaks through Italy, France and Switzerland, including cycling, scrambling, paragliding and climbing.

After their fourth summit, Wohlleben took a hard landing from his paraglider, ending his #82Summits journey. Ueli has continued the mission, climbing peaks with his wife, friends and fellow mountaineers. On June 30, Ueli summited 18 Italian peaks in a single day, as part of the “Spaghetti Tour” leg of the route.

“Mountain Hardwear received a lot of critical acclaim for its 2012 Ueli Steck collection. We took it a step further with this second collection, really re-inventing the way alpine layering works,” said Chris Harges, Mountain Hardwear’s director of global marketing. “The pieces are more versatile and better suited for the weekend mountaineer in terms of features and price. They also look incredible!”

Ueli is set to complete his #82Summits journey by August 29. In doing so, he will have climbed over 62 vertical miles and biked more than 600 miles.

To help prepare him for his adventure, the Mountain Hardwear product team worked with Ueli for 18 months to create a kit to take him the distance. Meticulously designed with strategic pockets, ultimate durability and packability, the kit includes baselayers, insulation, shells, a backpack and the lightest test Mountain Hardwear has ever created. This kit will be available to consumers in Spring 2016.

The #82Summits project can be followed via GPS tracking at www.#82summits.com

About Mountain Hardwear:

Mountain Hardwear is a leader in innovative, premium outdoor apparel, equipment and accessories. We celebrate bold ideas, the drive to challenge the edges of our potential, and the joy, friendships and personal growth that come from that endeavor. We work with era-defining athletes to develop lightweight, easy-to-use and incredibly well-crafted outdoor clothing and equipment. Mountain Hardwear, Inc., founded in 1993 and based in Richmond, CA, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Columbia Sportswear Company and distributes its products through specialty outdoor, running, and sporting goods retailers in the United States and 58 countries worldwide. www.mountainhardwear.com

For more information contact JAM Media Collective Julie Atherton at 415.839.7546 or julie@jamcollective.net