Innovation flows from experience Providing the most technical solutions to the challenges of modern mountaineering, ski touring and freeride skiing is a real profession – and demands real expertise! Without the experience acquired over 50-plus years on all of the world’s mountains, Millet’s products would not have attained their current level of technical prowess. On the shoulders, backs and feet of mythical alpinists, these products have marked milestones in the history of mountain sports: ’50s: equipped with Millet packs, Lachenal and Herzog scale the first of the 14 summits over 8,000 metres: Annapurna. ’70s: Desmaison cuts the steps for ”Le Linceul” (The Shroud) at Les Grandes Jorasses, reporting daily on the radio. ’60s: first winter ascent of Cervin by Walter Bonatti. ’80s: With Millet packs and jackets, Messner notches up first after first, becoming the first mountaineer to climb all 14 of the 8,000m-plus peaks; Profit and Escoffier race to conclude the CervinEiger-Grandes Jorasses trilogy with the first Gore-Tex® suits; Edlinger climbs the vertical wall “bare-handed” in the Gorge du Verdon. ’90s: Jean-Christophe Lafaille applies a “solo” ethic to his climbing, thus enhancing the beauty of his projects and showcasing the technical capability of Millet’s products. 2000s: Marco Siffredi snowboards down the Norton Couloir on Everest; Daniel Du Lac wins the Bouldering World Cup; The Trommsdorff-Grazziani-Wagnon (TGW) party creates a collection of stunning routes in pure Alpine style on the world’s highest faces…
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Mountaineers of yesteryear, sportspeople of today, and adventurers of the future... their experiences forge our own, day after day. Winter 2008: the story continues, more compellingly than ever! Supported by Millet, other men and women have conceived other projects. Discover them in this fanzine. They include: François Damilano, the renowned ice climber at the summit of his art, Philippe Batoux, an exceptional mountaineer following in Shackleton’s footsteps, Jean Annequin, expert guide, ski raiding in Norway, And our fearless freeriders, Cédric Pugin and Marion Parizet.
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Innovation drives development Because creative evolution is only relevant if it increases performance and safety, we have listened before devising and delivering new solutions. Each development is a functional response that incorporates all our terrain experience in the design – and with ever-greater levels of accomplishment. Once again this winter, at Millet’s Research and Development office, we are satisfying the most committed requirements: As embodied by our protective Grand Mixte™ Jacket in GORE-TEX® Pro Shell™ Stretch fabric, and our Radikal™ mountaineering boots, winner of the Outdoor 2008 innovation award, we are taking our innovation a notch higher. And so, supported by the latest manufacturing technologies and sure of our products’ durability, we confidently declare: The Millet brothers - 1965
Experience is our strength – it’s our source of innovation!
On the cover : GMHM - Expedition Groenland 2008