From the Andes to the Alps
WORDS → Emanuele Castiglione
DATE → 2026-07-24
HDry’s equipment and technological support
What connects the peaks of Patagonia and the steep spires of the Alps? Being legends made of rock, constantly challenged by the daring souls who venture to face them. We’re talking about Fitz Roy, the wild icon of the Patagonian Andes. Here Matteo Della Bordella, Marco Majori and Tommaso Lamantia completed the first winter ascent of the Casarotto route: 1,300 meters of wall, 35 pitches, temperatures down to -20°C and unpredictable weather windows. A visionary line, opened solo by Renato Casarotto in 1979, from whom it takes its name, which in winter becomes even more severe terrain. Returning to that line in the ice season is equivalent to declaring war on the cold.
On the other side of the world, just a few weeks ago, it was once again a north face that made headlines: that of the Grandes Jorasses, one of the most imposing and symbolic walls in the Alps. Here four young French alpinists — Arthur Poindefert, Kilian Moni, Pierre Girot and Hugo Peruzzo — opened Jorassique Pâques, an elegant and demanding line of about 1,100 meters on the north face of Pointe Whymper. Traced with a modern style but deeply respectful of the mountain, the route finds logical passages where everything seems to close off. Several days on the wall, technical passages on mixed and ice terrain, and a storm dictating the rhythm of the ascent tell the full character of the achievement.
Two different ascents, but profoundly similar: the success of both was determined by careful calculation of weather conditions and effective protection from an environment that, at those altitudes, can be truly hostile. These achievements wouldn’t be possible without the proper equipment to face high altitude. In such scenarios, the priority is to absorb as little water as possible: it’s essential to minimize heat loss and avoid freezing of the extremities, factors that translate into greater precision in movement. Technical innovation is crucial, as it allows alpinists to tackle all the pitches with the same clarity as the beginning, even after several days on the wall.
In this sense, the HDry system used for boot insulation is decisive. This technology allows the membrane to be laminated directly onto the inner surface of the upper, eliminating the space where water could infiltrate and accumulate. The result is footwear that doesn’t absorb moisture, keeps the foot dry and doesn’t increase in weight during use.
In contexts like Fitz Roy or the Grandes Jorasses, all of this translates into a single word: reliability. As alpinists continue to push toward increasingly ambitious lines, it becomes essential to develop solutions capable of supporting them in the most extreme conditions on the planet.
