The route, which circles Mont Blanc, begins in Chamonix, passes by Aiguille de Bionnassay and will cross the Col du Bonhomme. In the early morning, racers will cross Col de la Seigne into Italy and the Val Veni overlooked by Noire du Peuterey and the glaciers descending Mont Blanc. Later they will reach the Val Ferret, guarded by Dent du Géant and Grandes Jorasses before finally turning into Switzerland. They will then climb over Bovine and Les Tseppes. Then, with Aiguille Verte in front of them, under the vertical heights of the Drus and with Mont Blanc before them, they will dive down towards the finishing line in the heart of Chamonix. Alongside the UTMB, is the CCC, a 100km race in the same region. Polartec’s own David Gatti should be mid-way through this route right now, we wish him the best of luck.

You can see the virtual course here on the North Face website, and you can also follow the racers on this Live Trail site by typing in their bib number. Polartec’s David Gatti is #7276.

Check out this awesome footage of the starting line yesterday morning.

Last week, our Soldiers To The Summit team (http://soldierstothesummit.org/) got everyone together for an amazing training session here in Colorado. Though we’ve all been in virtual contact for the past few months, this was the first opportunity for everyone on the expedition to meet in person. (The only climber missing was Luis Benitez. But since he was still heading home from an attempt on K2, we’ll cut him some slack!)

Here are some photos of the training courtesy of our team photographer Didrik Johnck.

Soldier Zach Martinez practices a self-arrest on a mellow slope before progressing to steeper terrain.

Soldier Nicolette Maroulis tops out after climbing a very steep 60-foot snow and ice slope on St. Mary’s glacier.

Erik roping up.

The Soldiers to the Summit team is made of up people with varying disabilities including amputees.

Soldier Chad Butrick prepares to rappelling down the glacier.

Soldiers Dan Sidles, Ike Isaacson, Cody Miranda, and Steve Baskis (left to right) celebrate the summit of James Peak at 13,294 feet.

Polartec® is attending Summer OutDoor – the major European Outdoor Industry trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, July 15-18th. Every summer, companies from around the world descend upon Friedrichshafen to showcase the latest and greatest in technical gear. Polartec® will be there sharing its latest and greatest.

• Redefining breathability and weather protection with Polartec® Power Shield® Pro. The Ultimate Softshell.

• Introducing performance fabrics made with REPREVE 100®. REPREVE 100® is made from 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic bottles, (clear plastic water bottles).

• Announcing the 2010 Polartec® Apex Awards winners. Polartec will showcase all European Apex Awards winning garments.

• Polartec® Power Dry® with Polygiene® will be available to consumers in the spring of 2011.

If you are also headed to Friedrichshafen, Polartec is throwing the rowdiest party of the year, please join us. Save the date is below, July 17th starting at 18:30. See you there!

To read the entire interview on ESPN Freeskiing, click here. Read below for excerpts. Story by Devon O’Neil, photos by Aaron Chance-ESPN.

Greg Hill is a skier unto himself, and not just because he once climbed and skied 51,100 vertical feet in 24 hours, or because he will probably notch 270 days on snow this year, or because his short film “The Unbearable Lightness of Skiing” was a Banff finalist a few years back, or because he failed his ski guide exam in 2009 yet still maintains a backcountry profile that is as admired as any in North America.

At the time of our interview on June 25, Hill had summited and skied 44 peaks this year, topping out on 16,644-foot Mt. Steele, the 10th highest in North America. He spoke via a spotty Skype connection in Las Trancas, Chile, where he is skiing volcanoes and hanging out with his wife Tracey, a part-time waitress and full-time mom; daughter Charley, 4; and son Aiden, 3, as he pursues his 2-million-foot objective.

Karina, Karen, Paul and Jordan at Everest Base Camp

This news is a little old by now, but we’re happy to report that Jordan, Paul and Karen are now safely off the mountain and have arrived back in Kathmandu. After a over a month on Everest, they’re thrilled to have hot showers, telephone and internet access. Sticking to his goal of offering inspiration to other kids, Jordan has already scheduled his first school visit.  From Jordan’s Facebook page:

Jordan at age 9 in front of the mural at his school that started it all

“Stop #1- Rato Bangala School-the ‘harvard’ of middle schools here in Kathmandu, Nepal- 400 students get sneak preview at the new presentation by Jordan. 400 autographs. Need new sharpie.”

We’re incredibly happy for Jordan and proud to have supported him for over two years now. We’re also looking forward to being a part of his upcoming climb of Mt Vinson in Antarctica – the final peak in his Seven Summits quest.  As Jordan continues to be swarmed by the mainstream media we’re happily telling people, “we knew him when.”

For Immediate Release

Two-time Polartec Challenge Grant Recipient Jordan Romero, Age 13, Sets Everest Record

05.28.2010 – (Lawrence, Mass.) On Saturday May 22, at the age of 13, two-time Polartec® Challenge Grant recipient Jordan Romero became the youngest person ever to summit Mt. Everest. Later this year, Romero plans to climb Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, thereby successfully completing his quest to conquer the Seven Summits.

Jordan, who is from Big Bear, California, climbed Everest with his father, his father’s girlfriend and three Sherpa guides. The team arrived safely back at base camp on the Chinese side of the mountain today.

Polartec supported Jordan’s Everest climb through its annual Polartec Challenge Grant, which provides financial and product support to expeditions around the world. Jordan and his family were outfitted with a full range of technical Polartec baselayers, insulation and weather protection garments, helping them to stay warm and dry on the Earth’s highest mountain.

“We’re incredibly proud of Jordan and his family and happy to be long-time supporters,“ states Polartec Global Marketing Director Nate Simmons. “As our country faces epidemic levels of childhood obesity and inactivity, role models like Jordan are critically important to both the outdoor industry and the health of our nation.”

Jordan began his quest for the Seven Summits in July 2006, when he successfully climbed 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. In April 2007, Jordan summitted Mt. Kosciuszko in Australia, in July he climbed Mt. Elbrus in Russia and in December of the same year, he broke the record as the youngest person to summit Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina.

Last year, Jordan, climbed 20,030-foot Denali (Mt. McKinley) in Alaska and tied the record for the youngest person to summit the highest mountain in North America. Finally, in the summer of 2009, Romero climbed the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia.

Jordan’s sights are now set on Antarctica’s 16,000-foot Vinson Massif.

About Jordan Romero
Jordan Romero is a 13-year-old boy from Big Bear, Calif. with big dreams. Born on July 12, 1996, Jordan hopes to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on each continent.

After six grueling stages of brutal heat and sandstorms, the ultramarathon Trangoworld Corre team won the famous self-supported endurance test known as Marathon des Sables 2010. With them for the long haul was the Polartec Power Dry T-Shirt, that helped keep them (relatively) cool and dry. The team, made up of Jorge Aubeso, Fernando Cantón, Rodrigo Iturralde, and Gabriel Santamaría, ran 250 kilometers, carrying their own food and gear all while at the mercy of the high temperatures and harsh conditions.

The four Spaniards were pitted against the feared Moroccan and Jordanian teams, who had the advantage of being familiar with the harsh landscape. Even so, Trangoworld Corre came in first place by over three hours.

The experience was nothing short of heroic for Jorge Aubeso, who had to give up the third spot on the podium when he fell back to join his teammates in the final stage on the way to the finish line, thus ensuring that the team could place first. Aubeso declared, “Everyone on the team is thrilled to have won for Trangoworld. They put their faith in us, and supported us completely.”

Both the Trangoworld Corre team and Polartec Power Dry performed to the maximum in this desert race, where extreme conditions made the breathability and light weight of Power Dry invaluable.

We’re going to be giving away more stuff here on a regular basis, so be sure to keep checking justazipper.com.

Polartec® Body Climate®

Sealy has announced the launch of its new line of specialty mattresses, Embody™ by Sealy, featuring a brand new Polartec® Body Climate® fabric from the Polartec HOME Collection.

Sealy Embody™ latex foam mattress with Polartec® Body Climate fabric

Exclusive to Sealy, the soft and unique Body Climate® fabric features air channels for breathability and enhanced temperature regulation for ultimate comfort. Embody by Sealy will be available in both Latex and Memory Foam styles. If you love your Polartec clothing by day, now you can enjoy Polartec 24 / 7.

Check out the Furniture World article here.

Company: The North Face Product: Men’s Kishtwar Jacket Hall/Booth: B6.101 Web: www.thenorthface.com

Outdoor sports can become a true challenge if the weather does not cooperate. Ice rain, snow storms, wind gusts not only batter the athletes but also his or her sports apparel. The North Face promises the perfect combination of ventilation and protection against the weather with its “Kishtwar Jacket” – thanks to the new Polartec Power Shield Pro. The materials is 99% wind-proof, the remaining percent circulates in the membrane and supports active moisture wicking. In addition the jacket’s outer material is extremely wear- and water-resistant. Jury Statement: The most prominent feature of the men’s Kishtwar jacket is the use of the new Polartec Power Shield Pro material. This new technology ensures the highest degree of breathability with optimum wind protection for outdoor sports enthusiasts. The product is perfected with a well-though-out design and extremely well finished.

	Company: Patagonia Product: W´s R3 HiLoft Hoody Hall/Booth: A1.315D / B5.110 Web: www.patagonia.com
The fleece jacket  “W´s R3 HiLoft” is one of many eco-friendly products manufactured by the Canadians (ed. note I think they mean Californians not Canadians, close enough, right?) : it is made almost entirely of recycled and recyclable Polartec materials. In addition, the light weight, warm jacket is bluesign certified. This means that the production process was evaluated to determine the use of resources, level of consumer protection, water and air pollution, and working conditions. The jury was not only impressed by the jacket , but also by Patagonia’s long-time continuing, successful overall concept. Jury Statement: For many years Patagonia has been proof that a sustainable overall concept for the entire production chain is feasible. The R3 HiLoft Jacket is no exception and impressed us with its high degree of function, well-though-out design, and excellent solutions for sustainable production.

These awards are a tremendous honor for The North Face, Patagonia and Polartec and an awesome way for us to kick-start the largest outdoor tradeshow of the year.

(P.S. If you want to completely derail your productivity for the day, surf over to the ispo Brand New awards – so many drool-worthy products).

The first grant recipient is climber and writer Kelly Cordes. Cordes, who is a member of Polartec’s Athlete Advisory Board, and his climbing partner Kyle Dempster will travel to Pakistan’s Charakusa Valley, home to massive technical peaks including K6 and K7, along with scores of unclimbed rock and ice objectives, to attempt the first ascent of an unnamed rock spire. The 6,200-meter spire, near K7, has been attempted several times and its virgin summit remains an objective that requires the rare combination of high-end rock skills, tenacity and high-altitude mixed-climbing.

The second grant is awarded to Kate Harris and Mel Yule for a bike expedition along the ancient Silk Road. During their year-long ride from Nepal to Turkey, Harris (a Rhodes scholar with a Master’s from Oxford and M.I.T.) and Yule (an environmental scientist with a Master’s in international development) will use their scientific, environmental and sustainable development training to investigate the natural and social impacts of six unique transboundary protected areas. The goal is to raise awareness about environmental conservation across borders as a peace-building endeavor in transboundary wildernesses along the Silk Road and beyond.

The third grant will go to renowned ski mountaineer Greg Hill, who will attempt to climb and ski over two million vertical feet in 2010. Hill, who set a world record by climbing and skiing 50,000 feet in 24 hours, plans to seek out and explore new ski descents on mountains in Canada, the U.S. and South America over the course of the year. Throughout his quest, Hill will film and document each climb and descent, offering viewers an unparalleled glimpse into the world of backcountry skiing.

The final grant recipient is Jordan Romero from Big Bear, California who, at the age of 13, has climbed the highest peaks on six different continents. This spring, Romero intends to climb Mt. Everest and later this year, Mt. Vinson in Antarctica. In his attempt to become the youngest person to climb the Seven Summits, Romero has become a role model and mentor to other children, speaking at schools about climbing, exercise and the outdoors.

“The Polartec Challenge celebrates our heritage as a technical outdoor company by supporting dreams for big adventure,” states Global Director of Marketing, Nate Simmons. “Kelly is a terrific ambassador for the climbing world and his goal is truly ambitious; Kate and Mell will use their journey as a powerful tool for conservation; Greg is a machine on skis; and Jordan inspires a whole new generation of mountaineers.”

In addition to the grant money, all of this year’s Polartec® Challenge winners will be fully outfitted with Polartec® garments, designed to keep them warm, comfortable and dry in the harshest of climates.

About the Polartec® Challenge Grant
The annual Polartec® Challenge Grant seeks to assist frugal, low impact teams who respect the local culture and environment and serve as role models to outdoor enthusiasts worldwide. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their vision, commitment and credibility. Past recipients of the Polartec® Challenge Grant include outdoor pioneers and adventurers such as Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, Steve House, Marko Prezelj, Andrew McLean and John Shipton.