Feedback from another satisfied Icebreaker customer…:
“I cannot express enough my extreme satisfaction with your product during our 21-day trip to Mongolia. We were horseback riding, camel riding, kayaking and camping. The trip of a lifetime!
Since we needed to pack light - I was especially drawn to the low-stink factor of your shirts. Everyone else on the trip was spending time doing laundry when we got into camp - but I just kept on having fun because my shirts didn’t stink! (And I looked good and felt comfortable).
Hi everyone my name is Randy Schultz and I am writing to tell of an amazing adventure I have recently been on.
Two months ago a dream of mine came true. I was invited to join a team of elite athletes to go north of the Arctic Circle to spend 28 days living in tents on ice and climbing mountains to reach the summits so that we could jump off!
I am a Canadian BASE jumper and this wonderful area was not only one of my highest priority destinations but also a very rare opportunity to explore a northern region of my incredible home, Canada.
The trip by no means was easy or very comfortable, but more than anything it was completely amazing and fulfilling.
The trip started as such, Kamloops to Ottawa then private charter to Iqaluit and onto Clyde River, one of the last most northern habitations in Baffin Island. We spent a quick night there setting up tents on the frozen tundra, with a slap in the face realization of where we were. Two tents with bags in them lifted off the ground and flew a couple hundred feet away twirling like leaves in the wind. This wonderful place is truly rugged.
With an early rise and some boiled snow and dehydrated food we were on the snowmobiles and Kamoteks (special Inuit sleighs). A five to six hour ride across the tundra and ice fields guided at this point by wise Inuit guides. We stop for an excellent lunch of Arctic Char and Bannock right beside my first iceberg, beautiful and blue looming thirty feet out of the frozen ocean.
A couple hours later we arrived, mind blown, as the land had gone from flat to five thousand foot shear walls of glorious proportion. I have lived in the mountains most my life and travel to mountainous regions often but I have never seen such a display of our ice age, smooth paths carved into the mountains straight to the ocean. And not just a few - as far as you can see all around you. I was in a living piece of my own heaven.
We joined up with the other half of our team who had arrived the day before due to the amount of gear and size of group. We set up our tents and the team shut down, we all know tomorrow is jump day.
Our camp is situated right below some amazing 3500 foot cliffs with summits not far off, just a few hours to reach. As I lay going to sleep I realize how truly stoked I am to have geared myself the way I did, the wind blowing, the freezing cold setting in, and me comfy in my tent warm and safe from the elements.
For this I need to thank Icebreaker for my base layers, as well Taiga for my outer layers and sleeping bag, and Hillsound crampons for grip on ice later in the trip (so necessary for safety), and all my friends and family that helped me so much to make this trip a possibility. Thank you all for believing in your friends and sons dream.
In total - I climbed 18 mountains, 70000 vertical with 17 flights! This trip brought me so much, I am extremely grateful for my safe experience of this truly amazing rarely touched piece of our country and world…..YAHOO FREEDOM!
Below I have attached a link to our groups slide show compilation of our trip, put together by a fellow jumper and personal friend Douggs, it gives a view of our adventures, experiences, friendships, hikes, flights and camp site.
Once again this year I decided to put myself through a whole heap of pain for no apparent reason! Specifically on this occasion it was for the Peak to Peak Multisport race in Queenstown. The Peak to Peak starts at the Remarkables Ski field at the highest peak with a small run in ski boots quickly followed by a ski leg down the black run Homeward Bound.
After jumping the fence it’s on to the Mountain Bike for a blast down the access road, followed by a flat section along to Frankton Beach. Here is where the real race starts, a 9km kayak around into Queenstown bay, from this point you don the running shoes and run out of town towards Coronet Peak, at the base of the hill you jump on your bike and have the lovely ride to the top!
All in all it’s a solid day at the office!!
This year I travelled up to Central from Dunedin on Friday and then set about getting all of the gear needed ready for the next morning. I decided that I would wear a IcebreakerGT 200 long sleeve top the whole way from start to finish along with my other cycle gear.
With a dedicated support crew of Dad, my girlfriend Amy (Thanks for coming from Christchurch) and local lad Tom (I promised him Subway for helping me) we set off to Queenstown to the start of the race.
At 12:10pm on Saturday the chaos began. The ski wasn’t too bad although poor snow cover made some parts interesting! Then onto the Mountain bike all was good although in retrospect I should have chosen different tyres as parts of the road were greasy!
Into the kayak all things started well until I went to take a drink from my lifejacket, nothing happened… I came to the conclusion that there was a kink in the hose (later revealed that there was) so I was stuck drinking straight Leppin, which sat uncomfortably in my stomach!
Onto the run and I quickly downed a large portion of water from my Fuelbelt and then tried to get into a steady pace, my left leg had gone numb in the kayak, so I invented a new running style! Not sure how efficient it is though! The run didn’t really improve much, my legs felt heavy the whole time and my stomach was trying to get rid of some Leppin any way possible.
Onto the last ride and I started to push pretty hard, I had borrowed a bike with lighter wheels and lower gears than mine to make the uphill as easy as possible. Lucky I had! Through all the pain I managed to get to the top, and with Tom running the last few km’s beside me to make me go faster!!
Finally crossing the finish line I had been out there for 2hr54min, which in comparison isn’t heaps but it hurt!! I managed to be 1st junior male, and improved my time by 15minutes from last year, next year I have to jump up to the Open male section, but I will be better prepared than ever!
My clothing choices were perfect for the conditions, I never got to hot or cold, and even I was surprised I didn’t smell at the finish!! Here are a couple photos from the final hill climb, excuse the pain on my face!!
I have just completed a 869 mile, 6 day cycle trip across the UK (3-8 July), from Lands End to John O’Groats, which was done in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.
I wore my black Icebreaker baselayer for the entire trip along with a red GT cycling jersey and socks kindly donated by Icebreaker.
Unfortunately I tore my GT top on some thorns at the side of the road on day 2, but the merino worked its magic and I can honestly say that there was no stink at the end of the journey - unlike my synthetic waterproof!
That’s me at the start in the ‘Lands End’ photo (on the left). The ‘Harrowgate’ picture was taken on our trip home (by car!!) and features me with the other team members: my co-rider Dave Bowering, his wife Sue, their dog Izzy, and daughter Holly.
Sue, Holly and Izzy drove the back-up vehicle in case of emergencies, which luckily we did not need.
I have nearly reached my target of £1500.00 and my employer will match the sponsorship, effectively doubling it. Check out my fundraising here: http://www.justgiving.com/friendsoftheends
I would like to say a BIG thank you to Icebreaker for your support.
After 30 hours or so in transit, New Zealand band Electric Wire Hustle are enjoying their second tour through Europe wearing none other than Icebreaker Superfine. Here’s a quick update from band member and Icebreaker Graphic Designer Dave Wright:
“So far we’ve had a couple of amazing shows in London followed by Vienna, Frankfurt, Poznan and Berlin. Next to come are Basel and Amsterdam.
With temperatures in the mid to late thirties the entire trip, our Icebreaker Superfine t-shirts have been integral. Traveling with a load of instruments while disembarking trains or planes to get to different venues and go straight into set-up, our Superfine tee’s have eased the heat and stink that would have accompanied!
This picture is of the three of us in our Superfine prior to traveling from London to Vienna to perform in a planetarium.”
Have a great rest of your tour guys, we’re stoked you’re wearing Icebreaker on your travels!
One of the best things about Icebreaker is our relationships with our merino wool growers. Last weekend I was lucky enough to get invited to spend some time at Cluden Station with Anna (our New Zealand Corporate Account Manager) and her partner Sam. We started off by having dinner with some farmers from a neighbouring station. Incredible company, a great roast meal and some wine made for a fun night.
Although it rained the entire time I was there, when we made it up to the high country (via a very bumpy and exciting ride in a ute), I saw one of the most incredible sights ever. It was snowing all around me and when I looked down the mountain it was completely green. For many people who live near or experience the mountains on a regular basis, this may not be a big deal, but for a “townie” like me it was pretty special.
Lucky for me my IcebreakerGT Base Layer 200 Crew paired with a Superfine LS Hood and topped off with Real Fleece kept me toasty warm in the snow at the top of the mountain. Sam was kind enough to stop the ute a few times so I could take photos. I was totally a tourist and very much appreciated the patience of my hosts.
In the high country, the merino sheep were a bit difficult to spot, but thanks to some very skilled and lovable dogs, I was able to see two merino running down the mountain. It was awesome to see the source of the merino that was keeping me warm in all that snow.
Overall it was a great trip where I learned heaps about what life in the country is like here in New Zealand, and I was lucky enough to experience some spectacular scenery and hospitality.
- Swave Szymczyk, Global In-Store Marketing Manager
Having made the painful decision to leave the Icebreaker family in pursuit of the age old Kiwi tradition of heading on an OE (Oversees Experience) the first stop was to visit my father who is currently working in AL Ain in the United Arab Emirates.
After appropriately celebrating my 3 years with the company and my bags packed I was off. It was quite an experience cutting everything you own down to one back pack, luckily you can roll Icebreaker gear up pretty small so you can fit a lot in.
With a brief stop over in Brunei, I arrived in Dubai. The scale of construction here is almost overwhelming, everywhere you go you will find the biggest something in the world, be it the Burj Tower, or the largest aquarium which is found in the Dubai Mall.
Abu Dhabi was also thriving with construction. I was also meet with a lot of greenery which I was not expecting in a desert nation (there was a lot of irrigation going on to maintain this). I really admired the planning that has gone on in this city there have been a lot of family park areas created and these seemed to be very popular in the evening as the temperature cooled. They were also redeveloping the Corniche area (sea front) which looked to be a great place to hang out.
The 40 degree heat was a real experience and I was glad I had packed in a couple of my favourite Superfine tee’s, being so breathable these really combated the heat. Al Ain was a fantastic experience and great to catch up with Dad. He also proved to be a great tour guide, driving me around the local forts and organising trips through the National Museum and Zoo. We also enjoyed a desert safari which included driving sand buggies through the dunes, a short ride on a Camel, treated to some local cuisine and a belly dancing display.
If I had to pick one highlight it was definitely climbing to the top of the Jebel Hafeet Mountain in Al Ain. The views were staggering looking out over the desert and across to Oman, this was such a stark contrast to the New Zealand environment I have grown up in, here is where it really sunk in that my journey has only just begun.
NAMAK (the Persian word for salt) is a free association of volunteers participating in the research of a salt karst in Iran. It was established in 1998 and is jointly formed by geologists and speleologists from Charles University in Prague, Czech Academy of Sciences and Shiraz University (Iran).
In the course of the project the members discovered and documented 22 salt caves with a total length of over 16km (by the year 2009). The most significant discovery was the first and fifth longest cave in the world - the 3N Cave and the Ghar-e Daneshyu Cave. Thanks to the NAMAK team, part of the Qeshm Island was pronounced a National geopark and in 2006 it was registered by the UNESCO Network of Geoparks.
Expedition NAMAK 2009 - testing of Icebreaker garments in Iranian salt karst
Icebreaker supported the 2009 expedition, the aim of which was to continue complex geological research around samples of brine from the springs in the area of salt diapirs in order to study the origin and age of this extraordinary water.
Icebreaker provided socks, underwear, t-shirts and sweatshirts for the members of NAMAK. Even though the project took place in the area of the Persian Gulf, the weather was unusually cold and rainy most of the time of our expedition. In the end we were more grateful for the Icebreaker garments than we ever could imagine.
We were using Tech-T’s and the Rapid Zip-Thru practically every day. From the beginning we were the centre of attention when shopping in the Shiraz shops and oriental bazaar. The clothes were also extremely comfortable during the work in the field. They succeeded during the exhausting hikes in the difficult area of salt diapirs, where we had to surmount deep valleys with steep walls, scree slopes and arched spines or the gravel of a semi-desert. Icebreaker also helped us to move further when climbing salt mountains and abseiling 200 m high walls of the south face of the Mesijune diapir.
A great advantage of the t-shirts was that they did not retain odour so we could wear them for a week without washing and still feel fine. The Hiker Lite socks, which we ended up wearing for more than 7 days in hiking shoes, proved to have similar qualities.
The comfortable, cosy cut and especially the extreme breathability of the material made it possible for us to (I am almost ashamed to write it down) wear the garments up to ten days without the terrible impact of odour on the wearer and his colleagues. We were using the t-shirts under overalls in the caves, where there were extremely unpleasant conditions of 25ºC temperature and 75% of air humidity. Comfort was one of the main reasons for the successful completion of the project, which often required for us to spend many hours filming and taking pictures of the unique salt subsurface.
The rainy weather in the second half of our stay in Iran culminated when we reached the salt diapir Jahany. A sudden spate started lasting for more than three hours. There was dim water running all over the surface of the otherwise parched diapir, there were boulders in the swollen river-basins and the muddy surface was extremely slippery. We only had old jackets that became drenched almost instantly, leaving our Rapid-Thru sweatshirts and SS Atlas tanks wet, too. In spite of that, we all survived the way from the diapir. The fast pace was producing some warmth and the Icebreaker somehow managed to retain it.
Summary of achievements
During the expedition NAMAK in 2009, there were over 1 km of new cave corridors discovered in the area of salt diapirs Mesijune, Namak and Jahany. One of the biggest salt cave dome in Iran and probably in the world was found in a cave called Evženovo kafíčko (Evzen´s coffee). It is 70×35x35 m big. We obtained all the necesary geological samples from the site.
We expected to feel hot in such a wet and warm climate around the Persian Gulf. But as we had experienced both warm and cold period during our stay, it was proven that the light garments from Icebreaker work perfectly in any conditions.
You can find more information (including literature) about the NAMAK project on the website: http://www.saltcaves.info/
To be honest I was not 100% sure about racing in Icebreaker at the 2010 Motatapu challenge (New Zealand’s iconic off road marathon). I feel the heat and have always run or raced in a lite weight top. So like every piece of kit I have ever been given I went out and tested it and found my self a bit surprised.
I trained in the IcebreakerGT150 Short Sleeve Velocity Crewe and found that it wicked moisture away from the body, it was cool and breathable on hot days and kept me warm on cold days. I found I could wear it 3 or 4 days in a row and it wouldn’t smell either.
On the race day the weather was a mixed bag - cold in the morning, but overcast with sunny periods for the rest of the day. Believe it or not I wore my IcebreakerGT200 Long Sleeve Chase Crewe and felt totally comfortable for the whole race. Over the years I have been sponsored by a number of different clothing brands and I would have to say that Icebreaker would have to be the most versatile and best product I have used to date.
Glaciers, one of nature’s miraculous creations, may disappear in this century due to global warming.
Since 1990, Italy’s La Venta Association has played a leading role in the exploration of Patagonia’s largest glaciers. Starting in 1990, members of La Venta have carried out research on at least 30 glaciers around the world, which has allowed the identification of factors which cause the formation of glacial cavities and, particularly, the morphological and climatic conditions which in some seasons cause the ice to melt. Ice caves is only one of the many projects La Venta has been carrying on during these two decades, from Mexico to the Philippines, from central Asia to Antarctica. You can learn more at www.laventa.it
An expedition by La Venta, outfitted in Icebreaker Bodyfit and GT, in collaboration with the Italian IB team has just been completed to Patagonia and Perito Moreno and its neighboring glaciers.
We caught up with filmmaker/cameraman/producer Alessandro Beltrame to learn more.
Tell us about yourself
I’m a 41-year-old filmmaker with 30 years experience in outdoor sports, from skiing, biking, climbing to mountaineering. I’ve been making videos for 15 years - take a look at www.agbvideo.com and www.vimeo.com/agbvideo/videos.
What was the purpose of your expedition to Patagonia to study the ice caves at Perito Moreno?
Exploring the ice caves inside the Hielo Continental Glaciers. Not only Perito Moreno, but also Viedma, Ameghino, Upsala and more. Take a look at http://www.laventa.it/eng/catalog/ghiacciai-patagonici/ipercarsimo-glaciale.html. The approach is scientific and documentary, my role was for a documentary.
Who was on the trip?
Fifteen men and three women, including 15 Italians and one person from Argentina, Mexico and Japan.
Why did you want to make a movie about it?
Two reasons: for a scientific documentation and comparison during the years, then to produce a documentary about hyper-karst in Hielo Patagonico and its influence on the global climate, global warming and fresh water reserve.
When will your movie debut?
My agency AGB with La Venta is trying to produce the film, we have experience in collaborations with National Geographic and BBC, and the Italian national channels.
How did your Icebreaker apparel perform in Patagonia?
An Italian dealer friend introduced us to Icebreaker. I had never used merino wool before. It’s not only fabulous, it’s incredible! Really! I wore Icebreaker baselayer for 30 days, from warm situations, with wind in El Calafate to ice camps on Moreno and Viedma. Some items I wore for five or six days without any problems. I have chosen IB for this experience, just the Italian dealer contact, no other way before to know and try it.
How can we find out more about your movie?
About the movie you need to wait some months, we are organizing the production, sharing the HD video with BBC, etc…
If you are interested in supporting the production, email Alessandro Beltrame at alessandro@agbvideo.com
