UTMB® (Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®) : considered the “queen” race of the event. 2,500 participants, 170km and 9,700m of positive altitude change. 46 hour time limit.
TDS® (sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie): 122 km and 7,100m of positive altitude change. 1,200 Participants. 31 hour time limit.
CCC® (Courmayer – Chamonix- Courmayer): 98km and 5,600m of positive altitude change and 1,800 participants. Time limit is 26 hours.
PTL® (la Petite Trotte à Léon): TEAM RACE made up of 2/3 people. 300 km and 25,000m of positive altitude change. Limit is 138h and 80 teams (teams need to stay together for the whole loop).

This year all UTMB finishers received a finisher vest from The North Face, made with Polartec® Power Dry® High Efficiency fabric. It’s a symbolic gift that the runners will wear with pride for years to come.

Polartec would like to send a big shout out to its own David Gatti, Director of Military Business for Europe, who completed the TDS in 25 hours and 45 minutes, finishing 351st out of 1,200 runners. Of course, David wore a complete Polartec layering system (Power Dry T-shirt, Power Dry High Efficiency longsleeves, Neoshell Jacket). Congrats to David on his second UTMB finish!

To read a complete recap of the race, check out irunfar.com and the North Face Journal.

Enjoy some photos and video from the UTMB below.

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.

Aspen Skiing Company CEO Mike Kaplan

High Country News just published this powerful op-ed collaboration by Aspen Ski Co CEO Mike Kaplan and The North Face CEO Steve Rendle. Definitely worth a read:

In the summer of 2003, one of the most legendary and fearsome mountaineering routes in the world –– the North Face of the Eiger –– fell victim to climate change. An unusually warm summer melted much of the ice that makes this route in Switzerland passable. As temperatures continue to warm, this iconic passage may only exist in winter.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, aspen trees have begun dying off in huge numbers. Aspens can fall victim to many diseases, but science suggests that a warmer climate will lead to increasing tree mortality as a result of sickness, insect infestations and other pests.

The North Face CEO Steve Rendle

As CEOs of two of the most widely known consumer brands in the outdoor recreation market — Aspen Skiing Company and The North Face — it gets our attention when our companies’ namesakes start to vanish before our eyes. Although we operate different businesses, we share concern about the impact of climate change on our companies, the economy, the environment and our customers. We also agree that now is the time for dramatic action by Congress to curb greenhouse gas emissions, stimulate investment in renewable energy sources and clean technology, and encourage energy efficiency.

The effects of warming global temperatures are not theoretical. At Aspen, where our business depends on the climate, we already see a gradual increase in frost-free days and warmer nights. Milder winters mean a shorter ski season and greater reliance on artificial snowmaking, a costly and carbon-intensive practice. In short, climate change impacts Aspen’s bottom line. For the $6 billion ski industry, and the hundreds of thousands of people who make their living directly or indirectly from it, the stakes are huge.

Continue reading here.

“The Eco Champion campaign is a celebration of those individuals who dedicate their lives to making a difference in our world,” states Nate Simmons, Director of Marketing for Polartec. “Both Polartec and The North Face are committed to reducing their environmental impact through programs like the recycled Polartec fleece in The North Face Denali jacket, and we are thrilled to recognize others who embrace the world we live in.”

The ‘Eco Champion’ program is a two-round campaign, created and managed by social media advertising network, Brickfish®. The program invites entrants to submit videos, photos or blogs showcasing people who deserve special recognition for their efforts to improve the environment. Twenty-five finalists, selected by The North Face® and Polartec® from round one, will advance to round two. Of the twenty-five finalists, one grand prize winner will be selected through online voting to receive a $15,000 donation made in their name to a green cause of their choice plus a $1,000 gift certificate to The North Face® online store. In addition to the grand prize winner, The North Face® and Polartec® will also award the second and third place winners with donations made in their names.

“The health of our planet and the outdoors is an integral part of The North Face brand,” said Letitia Webster, Director of Corporate Sustainability for The North Face.  “We are thrilled to partner with Polartec for the ‘Eco Champion’ challenge to offer such a powerful program in recognition of the individual contributions of committed people and demonstrate the tremendous collective input we can all have.”

All twenty-five ‘Eco Champion’ finalists will receive a new Denali jacket by The North Face. The Denali, which debuted in 1989, helped introduce the warmth and functionality of Polartec® fleece to the world. A certifiable classic, the jacket has sold millions of units and can be found everywhere from Everest base camp to college campuses worldwide. This year, The North Face has switched the Polartec® fleece in the Denali to a new, recycled Polartec® Classic 300 fleece, which contains 87 percent recycled content. The new Denali will save the energy equivalent of approximately .83 gallons of gas and 33 pounds of carbon dioxide per jacket versus a jacket made using virgin polyester fleece.

The ‘Eco Champion’ campaign ends March 18.  For complete details, click here.

Debuting in Fall 2009, is a new honeycomb pattern Polartec® Thermal Pro® with 64% recycled content that will appear in the Arc’teryx Strato Jacket and the Roldal from Norrona.

Arc'teryx Strato with honeycomb Polartec® Thermal Pro®

Houdini will introduce multiple new garments made of recycled content Polartec® Wind Pro® with Hardface® technology including the Men’s Hardface Houdi, the Women’s Slipstream Houdi and the classically tailored, Men’s Blizzard Blazer.

Polartec’s highly breathable softshell collection, Polartec® Power Shield®, continues to expand with the introduction of lightweight Polartec® Power Shield O2® fabric in the Arc’teryx Endo pullover and Zeta jackets. The new, lightweight Polartec® Power Shield O2 fabric perfectly compliments the highly successful and more thermal versions of Polartec® Power Shield O2® in the Hercules and Griffon jackets. The Endo is designed for aerobic activities in a range of conditions with excellent venting, wicking and weather protection. Haglofs features Polartec® Power Shield® stretch wovens with Hardface Technology® in the Paze jacket and tights collections, optimized for cold-weather aerobic activities.

Also known for its perfect balance of breathability and weather protection, Polartec® Wind Pro® with Hardface Technology® comes to market in a beautiful new Norrona Lyngen  jacket and Scapegoat’s custom print Sundowner and Daybreak jackets. High loft versions of Polartec® Wind Pro® appear in the urban chic Embla and Stormur Coats from 66 North.

Scapegoat Sundowner featuring Polartec® Thermal Pro®

Norrona Lyngen featuring Polartec® Wind Pro® with Hardface®

Patagonia’s Phil’s Fleece is a great example of Polartec’s expanding wool collection. Now in addition to the wool/poly blended Polartec® Power Dry® fabrics, wool blends are appearing in insulation layers with the introduction of Polartec® Thermal Pro® with Wool. 66 North will introduce a jacquard knit wool/poly blend Polartec® Thermal Pro® hoody in the Akrajfall and Por jackets. It has also been rumored that in 2010, Polartec may have 100% Merino wool fabrics to choose from in a variety of weights.

Patagonia Phil's Fleece featuring Polartec® Thermal Pro® with Wool

As always, Polartec® continues to deliver an ever-expanding collection of unique textures and finishes. A new collection of fabric geared toward the “technical sweatshirt” hits the market in The North Face Cooper Hoody, Saucony’s printed Polartec® Thermal Pro® Zip Hoody, as well as the Urdur and the Logn Zipped Sweat Hoody and Sweat Pants from 66 North. Polartec® Thermal Pro® sweater knit styles, including a mini cable knit and rib sweater, will appear in collections from Marmot, Norrona, Henri Lloyd and Bergans.

Saucony Polartec® Thermal Pro® jacket

Marmot Clo Hoody with Polartec® Thermal Pro®