climbing

Every now and then I get a chance to chat with new designers. Their stories often define what their brand will be. Ethan Wishnick is an example of this. I had the opportunity to conduct an interview with the climb and ski instructor who set out to design his own line of technical apparel Toren.

So, tell me a little bit about the history of Toren. Who, or what is Toren?

Toren is a new brand of technical apparel created to deliver top of the line, great fitting products at unbeatable value. I founded Toren in 2013 and will be bringing our first products to market this spring.

How did you come to be?
I’ve always loved the outdoors and been an avid skier. Prior to my professional life in New York City, I was a climbing instructor in Boston and a ski instructor in Vail. As a passionate consumer of technical apparel and gear, I saw a hole in the market for great fitting, reasonably priced high quality apparel. Toren was founded to fill that hole.

Every outdoors adventurer knows what they want in outerwear, but what do you want in your gear, and why?
Fit, function and value. It’s not complicated – I’m looking for high quality apparel that can take whatever abuse I throw at it and keep me looking good through it all. Everyone talks about the “one quiver ski” – that perfect ski you reach for regardless of the conditions. I’ve spent years looking for the “one quiver jacket” and I think the Fundamental Shell might be it.

What is your target market?
We’re targeting discerning customers who are adept and comfortable with online shopping and looking for value driven brands with strong ethical standards. We recognize that people wear technical apparel for more than just outdoor pursuits, and we’re concentrating on consumers looking for transitional styles that work for both for your daily commute and weekend getaway.

What are you bringing to the table?
Most importantly, we’re bringing unprecedented value to technical apparel. We’re also really focused on transitional styling, as we mentioned, and fit, the other key area that we recognized as lacking. Our products are designed with a tailored cut and a close to the body, flattering fit which allows for full range of movement without excess bulk.

What separates you from other brands?
Toren’s direct-to-consumer business model sets us apart. By selling exclusively via our website www.toren.is, we’re able to eliminate the traditional retail markup and pass along huge cost savings to our customers. Additionally, our blog features regular updates on development and production of products and we actively solicit feedback on our designs, which gives our customers a stake in our products and fosters community engagement. Finally, we believe good business is more than just turning a profit, and we’re contributing a portion of all proceeds towards getting kids active outdoors, a social cause we really identify with.

What’s the technology behind your products?

We’ve been working with leading Japanese textile manufacturer Toray to develop our fabrics. Toray’s line of Entrant membranes is one of the best on the market and we’re thrilled to integrate such technically advanced components. In addition to using the highest quality textiles and trims, we’re paying close attention to how we can integrate everyday technology into our products. Each jacket will feature an inner chest pocket made with clear polyuretha

We’re really excited about this innovation and we think it’s going to go a lot further than your overpriced monthly cell phone insurance towards protecting your phone from water damage or that accidental high dive off the chairlift.ne plastic that allows for the use of a smartphone while in the pocket.

Let’s talk fabric, fills and breathability. What can we expect to see?
Our debut product, the Fundamental Shell, will feature a 3-layer mini ripstop polyester fabric with a Entrant Toray Delfy membrane. This lightweight fabric has a waterproof/breathability rating of 10,000mm/10,000mm and strikes just the right balance of durability and comfort. For Fall/Winter 2014, we’re looking at Toray’s revolutionary four-way stretch knits and new synthetic fill options, which compete directly with Primaloft One.

I was told your big launch is 2014, what is your new lineup going to look like?
We decided to keep the initial lineup tight, focusing all our energies on producing the best 3-layer shell we could imagine. The cross-functional Fundamental Shell will be available Spring 2014. We’re working on our Fall/Winter 2014 collection and hope to include an insulated hardshell, puffy, and midweight pullover.

Thanks, to Ethan for his time. We’re interested to see what Toren brings to the table this year.

What are your thoughts on their new line and the idea of a touch-screen friendly pocket?

You can reach out to and connect with Toren through the links below:

Well it finally happened. After training and hiking I managed to get things organized for a 2 day summit attempt of Huayna Potosí.

There’s a bit of debate as to how tall it is, with the official height being around 6088 meters or just shy of 20000 feet. This is in a country where official altitudes can be off as much as 500 meters. Most people at the summit (including one that I summited with) find that their GPS reads about 6100+ meters, or safely above the magic 20000 feet mark.

Usually tourists tackle the mountain in 3 days to allow a bit more acclimatisation time at the high camp of 5180 meters (17 000 feet) before attempting the summit. We did it in 2 as I have been in La Paz for a while and time was a constraint.

Leaving La Paz, we drove up towards Paso Zongo, where on both sides there are mountains over 5000 meters and a glacial blue lake sits just below you. An incredible start to a trip.

Disembarking at the Refugio or base camp (4700 m or 15 400 feet) we stopped for lunch and some coca tea (it helps with the altitude) and discussed plans for the day. A couple hours to the high camp involving regular hiking and a bit of scrambling then it was R&R before the summit attempt the next morning.

We had 2 porteadores (porters) that helped with our stuff. We could have done it without, but it helps support the local economy and makes it more of a relaxing trip.

Huayna is very popular so it has a nicely worn trail, which we followed past a glacier, across a stream and then along a ridge before we scrambled up a rocky trail littered with leftover ice. Apart from a small section of ice steps, the going was non technical and my trekking poles did the trick. Within 2 hours we were at the high camp “Campo Rocas Alto” of 5180 feet where another stone “refugio” sits on the edge of the snow line.

After taking a whole bunch of photos and talking about the route, we relaxed inside with some more food and drink. After chatting with the others that were attempting the summit the next morning we decided to head to bed.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with mountains, the night brings strong wind bellowing up the mountain. I found it hard to sleep as the sounds made me feel that at any moment the roof would be torn off this tiny shelter and leave us exposed to the cold.

This fear was somewhat confirmed at 2 am when I went out to use the facilities and after sitting down on the frozen seat the outhouse door blew open and off its hinges.

We had decided to start an hour later than the others to give us a bit of calm and because my guide Gonzalo felt my pace was quicker than the rest. After getting a few hours of shut-eye and a couple more hours of lying in bed and listening to the rattle of the roof joists we decided to eat a light breakfast and gear up.

We wouldn’t need the ice axe for the first section so we stowed them quick to hand and took out the trekking poles instead. The first hour is straight forward as you cut up to the left and then back to the right. Pretty much every time you start to get tired it levels out a bit to give you a breather, before sending you up another steep section.

My Hydration hose froze solid despite blowing into it to get rid of water in it and I had to store the hose behind me back to thaw it out. The water was essential for the altitude, I’m glad I brought 3 liters, despite the weight.

When I rested, it was not so much to give my legs a break, but more to give my lungs a chance to catch up from the lack of air. Doing the Choro trail a few weeks before had been a good idea.

We followed the trail and marked the red flags that indicated crevasses and ascended till we came to a wall. There was one slightly technical section filled with crevasses where we needed to pull out the ice axe and dig in with the crampons to get up, but after that it was smooth sailing to the final ascent. We stopped for photos and a snack when the sun started to crest and the moon was outlined, but then pushed on.

When we got to the final crest, we had caught up with the other teams. We dumped the trekking poles and switched back to the ice tool and climbed up the ridge that snaked its way to the summit. The wind was blowing up one of the faces so we tried to keep low until we got to the top.

At 7:20 AM we reached the summit and the sun had come up not long before. After taking a break, drinking a nice cup of hot chocolate and coffee mixed we congratulated each other, thanked our guides and finished the adage: What goes up, must come down.

Although it took us a bit over 4 hours to get to the top, we only needed an hour and a bit to make it back to the high camp. That included the sight seeing and photo taking of the amazing sights that we couldn’t see on the way up in the dark.

At the high camp again, we took only as much time as we needed to pack up our stuff and have another drink before we hopped back down the trail to the car. Once there we recounted our exploits, settled our debts and got in the car and headed home.

It was then that I realized what we had just finished doing. in just over 24 hours I had zipped up to around 20000 feet (not even possible back in Canada), for the first time in my life had summitted a significant peak and left that all behind. Needless to say, I’m already planning my next peak.