What are the characteristics that make Grip Shield Gloves stand out?
First of all, the palm is made of Pittards® goatskin leather, a material that ensures a secure and durable grip. It is a true guarantee of adhesion and robustness. The anatomical design of the fingers greatly improves dexterity, for more precise handling and better sensitivity. This means you can keep your gloves on to perform technical manoeuvres that would previously have required you to take them off and expose your hands to the cold. The lightweight design, with a snug fit and a small footprint, allows for great freedom of movement and therefore comfort. Lightness is also a strong argument in a discipline where every superfluous gramme is hunted down! Finally, the HDry® 20K/20K membrane provides enormous added value. This innovation is astonishing in its ability to combine optimal waterproofing with maximum breathability. This technology keeps your hands dry while allowing moisture to escape. Note that we have also added small sleeves to cover the wrists and prevent water or snow from seeping in, which makes all the difference in terms of keeping in the heat.
"The HDry® 20K/20K membrane provides enormous added value. This innovation is astonishing in its ability to combine optimal waterproofing with maximum breathability.
Does HDry technology really make the difference?
HDry technology clearly makes the difference. This Italian brand has developed an innovation that only it holds the secret to: the outer layer of the glove's shell and the inner membrane are one, with no space between the two. This offers mountaineering gloves a perfect compromise between waterproofing and breathability. It keeps the hands free from internal moisture caused by perspiration, but also from external moisture from the snow. A priori, 100% of the climbers who tested the HDry technology were convinced!
‘A priori, 100% of climbers who have tested HDry technology have been convinced!’
How do you choose the right mountaineering gloves?
Contrary to popular belief, choosing a larger glove does not guarantee warmth. Gloves must be adjusted. Enthusiasts often make the same mistake with their ski or mountaineering boots: they think that by taking a slightly larger size, they will be less cold. In reality, the opposite happens: they have to tighten the boots more tightly to feel supported and as a result, the blood circulates less well and they feel cold!
‘Contrary to popular belief, wearing larger gloves does not guarantee warmth.’
You were fully involved in the design of these mountaineering gloves. Can you briefly tell us about your role in the development process of the Grip Shield Gloves? And can you think of an adventure during which these gloves really came in handy?
The design of the Grip Shield Gloves mountaineering gloves was a real team effort. Therm-ic trusted me 100%: they were super open and proactive in our collaboration. After an initial brainstorming session to identify the needs, we determined the materials we liked and then carried out field tests until we had a finished version that fully satisfied us! This trial-and-error protocol is the key to creating very good technical, reliable and durable products. I was finally able to test this final version in real life this summer, during an expedition to Pakistan. Their warmth and waterproofing provided me with great comfort, which is essential when climbing at these altitudes, in very high mountains, with my hands almost constantly in the snow.
Do you use other heated gloves or undergloves under your mountaineering gloves to keep your hands warmer when the conditions are really cold?
Absolutely! When skiing, when I'm guiding or when I'm climbing at very high altitudes, I use heated socks and I can double up my Grip Shield mountaineering gloves with Thin Ultra Heat Liner S.E.T® undergloves, or even replace them with heated Grip Ultra Heat gloves.
Finally, what are your future plans and objectives where you will be seen wearing these mountaineering gloves that you co-developed?
Like every year, I have a lot of things in mind. To begin with, I'm taking advantage of the current conditions to make a short web series that combines ice climbing and paragliding. The Grip Shield Gloves will obviously be very much in evidence, in action, in the live, cold and sometimes extreme conditions. Then I plan to go to Albania to attempt a ski crossing between Kosovo and the Adriatic Sea. Once I'm back, I'll go to Chamonix to try to finish a project I started last winter: to free a mixed route in the Grandes Jorasses. Once again, the Grip Shield Gloves will be very useful. Finally, this spring, I am going to Pakistan again to climb a completely atypical route with a young local guide. In short, I always have lots of projects, with one thing in common: they all take place in the mountains!
