From the beginning I started mountaineering, I was strangely attracted by the art of suffering and enduring hard conditions, thus most of my expeditions have taken me to the wildest, remote parts of the world. These locations, far from the claws of human civilisation, were the places of my best adventures in which I scoured my best memories of my life. Most of these climbs or attempts have taken me to my extreme limit and I were often close to the edge. It’s just the deep nature of pushing it on hard unclimbed territory. In these remote places, big part of the challenge is managing the risk and surviving. And that’s how I feel, should be real adventure!
A freezing winter big wall climb or an unlikely alpine line when often found ourselves pushing everything to the limits, is the quintessence of climbing and mountaineering for me.
Continue reading “Leslie Fucsko” »
Odin NEO Outdoor-Magazin: Editors’ choice 2015
Valandré Odin NEO
Valandré has strengthened its already excellent reputation as high-end sleeping bag manufacturer by giving one of its bag a facelift. Despite being warmer, the Odin Neo is 160 grammes lighter than its predecessor. It weighs a mere 1,650 grammes. Sleeping bag expert Frank Wacker did not believe his eyes when he received the latest lab results: “A sleeping bag that keeps you warm in -30C in this weight category is unheard of!” Subsequent sleeping tests inside a cool house substantiate these results of –23/–31 °C (lower temperature limit). Valandré managed to come up with this masterpiece by building on its past experience of producing an even cover with enough space for the high-quality down to unfold. The hood also sets standards: the defined collar reminds of a guillotine and combines the best fit with top isolation. Furthermore, the outward-sloping foot part saves weight. “This is a masterpiece featuring top quality material and refined processing,” the sleeping bag expert concludes. Price: 789 Euro.
Top warmth-to-weight ratio: excellent isolation, elaborate construction, top material, meticulously manufactured.
Valandré Odin NEO
Le fabricant de sacs de couchage Valandré a confirmé sa réputation d’excellence en faisant un lifting de sa gamme expédition. En dépit de devenir plus chaud, l’Odin Neo s’allège de 160g par rapport à la version précédente. Il ne pèse que 1650g. L’expert en sacs de couchage Frank Wacker n’en croyait pas ses yeux quand il a reçu les derniers résultats du test en laboratoire : « un sac de couchage qui vous tient au chaud par -30°C dans cette catégorie de poids c’est du jamais vu ! ». Son test en chambre froide confirme les résultats du laboratoire de -21 / -31°C (température extrême). Valandré a réussi ce chef d’œuvre en reprenant ses classiques du préformé ; cela crée un volume uniforme permettant un gonflant optimal du duvet sur l’ensemble du sac. La capuche reprend les standards, elle est associée à une collerette garnie en forme de guillotine ; l’ensemble assure une isolation parfaite. De plus, la footbox inclinée permet gain de poids. « Nous avons ici un chef d’œuvre qui allie matériaux de qualité et construction raffinée » ; conclut l’expert. Prix 789€.
Meilleur ratio Chaleur/Poids ; excellente isolation thermique, construction élaborée, matériaux de premier choix, fabrication et qualité soignées.
Valandré Odin NEO
Durch das aktuelle Facelift festigt Valandré seinen Ruf als High-End-Daunenschlafsackprofi: Trotz gesteigerter Wärmeleistung ist der Odin Neo im Vergleich zum Vorgänger noch einmal 160 Gramm leichter. Er wiegt nun 1650 Gramm. Schlafsackexperte Frank Wacker traut kaum seinen Augen, als er die Messergebnisse aus dem Labor bekommt: »Ein Schlafsack dieser Gewichtsklasse, der bis minus 30 Grad warm hält … unglaublich!« Testschlafreihen im Kühlhaus untermauern das Laborergebnis von –23/–31 °C (untere Temperaturgrenze). Das Kunststück gelingt Valandré durch vorgeformte Stege: Sie schaffen eine gleichmäßige Hülle mit genügend Volumen, sodass sich die hochwertige Daune entfalten kann. Auch die Kapuze setzt Maßstäbe, der aufwendige Wärmekragen gleicht einer Guillotine und verbindet top Passform mit hoher Isolation. Außerdem spart das nach außen geneigte Fußteil Gewicht. »Ein Meisterwerk in bester Material- und Verarbeitungsqualität«, ergänzt der Schlafsack-Experte. Preis: 789 Euro.
top Wärme-Gewichts-Verhältnis hervorragende Isolation aufwendige Konstruktion top Materialien, penibel verarbeitet
Nanga Parbat 8125m (26.657ft) was climbed July 3th 1953 by Herman Buhl (Austria). This mountain situated in Pakistan is one of the harder peaks. The normal route is not extremely technical, but Nanga is famous for bad weather. Together with K2, it remains the last 8000 peak that has never been climbed in winter.
During the winter 2014, Daniele Nardi (Italy) and Elisabeth Revol (France) made an impressing attempt to open a new direct route, in a pure alpine style without the help of porters, oxygen and fixed ropes. Despite passing the technically most difficult parts of the climb, Daniele and Elisabeth “burned out” at their bivi, basically due to the extreme cold. But they showed that they know how to tackle a direct line on a Nanga Winter.
A couple of weeks ago, Elisabeth contacted Valandré to inform, that they will return in January 2015 for a new attempt. The lessons from Nanga 2014 in mind, we decided to give them a full backing so they can recover and resist the extreme cold. Obviously if they can’t resist the freezing conditions during the day and night time, they can’t make it.
So we at Valandre have one month to get an optimized down solution, ready for Daniele and Elisabeth. And we will do it, Nanga winter in a straight line, non ox and in alpin style rings a bell: Time to get out of your lazy bed boy!
Elisabeth Revol
Daniele Nardi
You know what you get, once you get a Valandre Odin expedition bag, but what tent will match it? So we called in US tent maker SlingFin for the gear test at the Chamonix Mountain Festival. And to match the SlingFin SafeHouse2 tent (3883g with Alu poles, 3688g with Carbon poles), we threw in a “SUPER SIZED” Shocking Blue: The Odin NEO (1679g), and the MAXIMIZER: the Thor NEO (1951g)!
There are only six places available! so email us
The price: only €50 per person and an option to buy your Valandre sleeping bag at production price.
If you require accommodation through the UCPA, just email us – to help with the UCPA administration and take advantage of a discounted rate.
If you also would like to take part in the Festival, book the whole week here!
In the line of technical goose down sleeping bags, the Shocking Blue stands out in its own category. Nick named “Saint hot as hell” in the USA, this bag has always surprised its users, as it offers a performance that a bag in its category normally would not offer. Field test confirm that the bag can resist –25C (limit of comfort) with 781g of down and 1380g total weight.
So just for fun we just “SUPER SIZED”a Shocking Blue with a 30% increase in baffle height, from 7,5cm to 10cm, and hence the down load from 781g to 1041g. The total weight passes from 1380g to 1680g And, that is a BIG Bag!
Enough is not enough, so we rolled another one and “MAXIMIZED” a Shocking Blue with 60%. Baffle height from7,5cm to 12cm, and down load from 781g to 1249g and hence a total weight of 1951g.
The two bags will be presented at the OUTDOOR trade show in Friedrichshafen and later at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, and are due to replace the expedition bags Odin and Thor.
So to be well-prepared for the shows, Valandré will conduct a field test at the Mountain Festival with tent maker SlingFin from USA, putting 3 Odin NEO and 3 Thor NEO into field test on the massif and in altitude. 3 two men tents from SlingFin will be available for the test.
The object of the test is to get confirmation that the bags can resist –30C (Odin NEO) and –40C (Thor NEO). Naturally we do not expect these kind of temperatures in June in Chamonix, but testers will get a pretty good idea about the performance that they are expected to report back to us.
