Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Keeping active and having fun with good friends is an essential part of life.

I am so fortunate to hang out with a group of adventurous women who enjoy physically challenging activities. These ladies embrace the outdoors– even in cold climates — through hiking, biking and skiing.

The activities are not only fun but contribute to our positive physical and mental health (not to mention good looks).

The group photo taken on a mountain top illustrates the personal pleasure and rewards of an extreme climb.

Playing outdoors at any age is not fun when you are cold and wet. Icebreaker clothing has been a good choice as it is attractive, comfortable and helps to keep you warm and dry.

- Lorna Bailie, Icebreaker Fan, Tremblant Trekkers

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the band new Icebreaker office in Germany and the also relatively new office in Czech Republic.

The main aim of the trip was to meet and train the finance managers…however it quickly became clear that the actual aims of the trip were to eat as much chocolate as possible as fast as possible, substitute water for beer and ride bikes.

On the first day at the office we had challenged each other to beat the world record Ferrero Rocher’s consumed in a minute. We needed to consume 8 to beat the record. Priding ourselves on being massive chocolate fans we thought this challenge would be effortless. In fact it is not! However it proved to be a very entertaining exercise.

Martina, the German Marketing Manger, and I fronted up to the touristy tour of Munich in the spring rain. After a strenuous 5km 3hr tour of Munich we found ourselves downing Weißbier like it was water…and with the tour guide who had made a habit extending the tour for Icebreaker girls into a German pub crawl.

The following morning, feeling a little under the weather I needed to rid myself of the evil jagermeister toxins. So I rode around the very picturesque Lake Stanrberg. It was an honest 50kms on a bike with a basket and no suspension. At the end of the trip I joined the brave few taking the first dip of the summer in the lake. The toxins were nearly gone and I started to feel human again.

For the last weekend in Europe, David the Czech Marketing Manager convinced me to enter a “about 50km” bike ride in the Czech mountains. Not being able to say no to energetic and enthusiastic David, I agreed. How hard could it be?

Let’s just say the next time I take on 70km mountain biking adventure, I might do a spot of training beforehand!

However the pain was more than offset by the amazing experience. The scenery was spectacular, through lush green forests. The views were fantastic from the mountain tops, over the Czech country side and into neighbouring Poland.

The beverages were graciously received, particularly the classic Czech beer at the end. And last but not least the Icebreaker team, encouraging, supportive the whole way. We had a few laughs, nearly a few tears, ate lots more chocolate and all passed the finish line with grins from ear to ear.

- Heidi Anderson, EU Finance Manager

On April 25, 2009 our two-man expedition reached its goal of skiing unsupported and unassisted to the North Pole. We are the first Americans to accomplish this feat, which has been called the ‘hardest trek on the planet.’

We knew that our success might just be dependent on our feet. We chose our socks carefully and loved the socks that Icebreaker provided for us! Our feet have never been happier on an expedition.

Together, the skier hyperlight and skier-midweight sock provided a very versatile layering system for our coldest days and our warmest ones. We had beautiful feet even at the very end.

The expedition took three years to plan. Our testing and research paid off. If we were to do the expedition over again we would have brought 97% of the same equipment.

Our 55-day expedition covered over 500 miles, faced -60 degree F temperatures, endless fields of ice rubble, open water and in the end a ceaseless southerly drift. During the exhausting sprint to the pole we slept only 3 of the final 66 hours of the expedition.

Our website www.northpole09.com contains our complete expedition blog and the most up to date news about the expedition project.

 - John Huston and Tyler Fish, Victorinox North Pole 09, the first American expedition to reach the North Pole unassisted and unsupported