Quality. In Life.
We’re back in the office in Sacramento after after an exceptional weekend at the Red Rock Rendezvous. The weather was perfect this year, no high winds or hail storms to deal with as in the past, and everyone was psyched to be there. Tons of sponsors came out to support the event, and with product, trip, and other donations from each of these companies, we were able to raise $10,000 for the Access Fund! In one night, in one auction! Proper.
This Thursday, George, Molly and myself will be leaving SacTown on a jet plane. Destination…Vegas.
I know what you’re thinking. Vegas??? Why put yourselves through that?? Well luckily we’ll get to the airport and high-tail it directly west. Out of the city, away from the hustle and bustle (there may be a quarter or two lost in some slots on the way out of the airport) and straight to Red Rock National Conservation Area for this year’s Red Rock Rendezvous.
The Red Rock Rendezvous is one of our favorite events, and we’re psyched to be a sponsor again this year. It’s a climbing festival centered around teaching and clinics for all levels. Some of the world’s best climbers are on hand to teach newbies the basics and help more advanced climbers master specific skills. There are a ton of clinics to choose from and after you register and buy your ticket in, you’re able to select one full day clinic for either Saturday or Sunday and then as many other 2 hour clinics as you can handle on the other day. Climbing not really your thing? There are also clinics offered for mountain biking, yoga, backpacking, wilderness first aid, trail running, trail cooking, photography, and the list doesn’t stop there. There are slideshows every night, a dinner for ALL attendees on Saturday, and plenty of music, revelry, yoga, comps, and service projects to keep you busy all weekend. You can view the entire festival schedule HERE.
So what’s our part in all of climbing fun and madness? We’ll be on site in the vendor area showing off some of our brand new product - namely the Fusion LTS line of packs that our ambassador, climber Joe Kinder, helped design. Stop by the booth to get fit for a Gregory Pack and learn why they are the most comfortable packs on earth (and maybe even beyond). Joe’s going to be at the event all weekend as well, he’ll be running clinics on Redpointing, both on Saturday and Sunday. We’ll have tons of Gregory goodies to give away, including some packs, so you best be there. George will be there to answer all of your technical pack questions and get you fit for a pack. We also sponsor the service project for trail maintenance and to help clean up during the event so we leave the gorgeous Red Rock area just as pristine as when we got there.
Still not convinced this event is for you? Stay tuned for Joe’s perspective on the event, from the eyes of a climber. We’re sure he’ll get you psyched and inspired. If you can’t make it out to Vegas this week, mark Red Rock Rendezvous on your calendars for next year. It is always at the end of March and is a yearly event. Once you go, you’ll never miss one again. We haven’t.
At Gregory, we put our packs through rigorous testing, and with our new Fusion LTS line, it was no different. We claim that these are the ‘go anywhere, do everything’ packs, and so we had to test them as such. Well the reviews are in, they’re glowing, and we couldn’t be more psyched for you all to give these packs a try yourselves.
So who were these ‘testers’? We gave Gregory Ambassador Joe Kinder a Torre 33 nine months ago, and had one of our female employees, Molly, test two of the women’s specific models over the past 4 months. Both of them LOVE the mountains (obvs), so these were the perfect packs for them to put through the ringer, through a multitude of activities, with each of their very different packing styles. Here’s what they had to say:
Name: Joe Kinder
Pack Tested: Torre 33
Activities: Climbing, Approach, Bolting Routes
The Review: “I’ve been using the Torre 33L for the past 9 months. My objective was to put this joint to use and try to kick its ass, use it in every situation, and then provide feedback. So far…to this day…I haven’t been able to damage it in the slightest. No rips, no holes, nothing. The zipper is still intact, the material is completely fine.
The harness system is amazing. It is a mold that offers total support and comfort. I pack this thing with bolts, draws, my drill, a rope, harness, shoes, water, and food. NO problem. The access to the interior is SO easy with the opening design. I am in love with this pack.”
Name: Molly Maguire
Packs Tested: Inyo 45 & Cirque 30
Activities: Backpacking/Climbing Yosemite, XC Skiing, Snowshoeing, Ice Climbing
The Review: “I used the Inyo 45 for an overnight backpacking trip in Yosemite with some newbies and was amazed at how much I loved it. I usually use a 60-80L pack and have been known to use that 80L for overnighters with new hikers to carry as many creature comforts for them, as possible. I fit everything I wanted to, everything was able to be organized, all the pockets are in good places, and there’s more than enough of them. And after everything was stuffed inside, it was super easy to get to it, this pack’s access is awesome. The approaches when climbing were easy b/c of the narrower waistbelt, so I could be wearing my harness and still take big, scrambly steps. The smaller packs in this line are great for a sport rack, the larger accommodate a trad rack, and with 3 volume sizes, you can do any length climbing/hiking trip.
In Ouray, I used the Cirque 30 as a day pack, out xc skiing and snowshoeing, as well as ice climbing. The Wraptor Stabilizer during the skiing and snowshoeing totally pulls the load up into your back, it feels super stable, like I had total freedom to move and the pack stayed still and stable, and didn’t throw me off balance (which can happen when you pack like me and come in at a whopping 5 feet tall :). It fit all of my climbing gear while I was trolling around the festival - crampons, harness, carabiners, belay devices, an extra rack - and still had enough room for my helmet inside too. I didn’t feel scared at all about throwing it down on the ice, the materials are bomber and super abrasion resistant.”
There you have it folks. Man and woman, coming together and agreeing that these All Mountain packs are AWESOME. What do you all think of these packs? Psyched to try them out? If you’re still not sold, check out the video for some more info on the features, Fusion LTS suspension, and what makes these packs so great.
Gregory recently held its annual sales meeting about an hour or so from the home office at a small 
resort on the California Coast that’s a great spot to combine work and the outdoors. Reps from around the world converged for a couple of days to talk business, see preliminary designs for next season, and of course hike, mountain bike, surf and sea kayak.
Really, business did get done …
Some of the reps from farther afield often take the opportunity of being in California to make a more full trip of it. Harry Kondo, the company’s Asia Pacific sales and marketing manager, based in Japan, headed south after the meeting to
surf.
Being an avid climber, Thomas Strobl, from Invia, Gregory’s distributor in Germay, Austria and Switzerland, often takes advantage of trips to Gregory HQ by building in a few extra days and making the pilgrimage a few hours south and east to one of the meccas of the climbing world, Yosemite Park.
On this trip, before headed to the park’s granite walls, Thomas in the name of product testing stole (OK he did actually ask and got the green light with the condition that he report back with his feedback) a Serrac 35 sample from Gregory’s forthcoming Fusion LTS pack line for 2010.
Here’s a couple shots of Thomas sorting gear and eyeing a certain iconic rock route.
