Reaching Great Heights

When you picture the attire that a rock climber needs to wear, what do you see? If you imagine flowy, thin, minimal clothing to allow for movement, you are probably picturing the perfect setup for a warm day of climbing. But what happens when temperatures drop and the weather changes? That’s when your apparel becomes extra important, demanding a versatile, thermoregulating system. We recently partnered up with She Moves Mountains, for a climb in Moab, where part of their team tested the new PAKAFILL® Jacket to see how it accommodates technical athletes in varying environments.

Moab, Utah, is known as a climbing mecca in North America. The sandstone spires and splitter cracks are features that draw climbers from all around the world. She Moves Mountains took our new puffer to the red cliffs, which are also a place of extreme temperatures. In the summer, it’s not uncommon for the area to see 100-degree temperatures. The dry winters can be equally as startling for being cold and windy, which is why versatile outerwear is needed. Along with testing the jacket, we also sat down with Lizzy VanPatten, a climber and the founder of She Moves Mountains, to hear her story, discuss increasing outdoor access, and how she's pushing her own boundaries.

Finding yourself in nature

Listening to Lizzy talk about climbing ignites a sense of empowerment and rebellion – the two-ingredient recipe that She Moves Mountains, an outdoor educational organization, was built upon. She speaks candidly about how it all began: “I didn’t want to build a company, but I thought if I didn’t do it, maybe no one would. And I needed to share this feeling with other women." Lizzy may not have set out with the intention to start a movement, but she certainly has done just that. More women are now able to comfortably participate in climbing both locally and around the world, in the care of She Moves Mountains instructors. It’s clear that Lizzy’s passion has inspired others to seek freedom and community in the outdoors.

Lizzy first dreamed of supporting other female climbers about 6 years ago while she was working for a climbing company in 2016, where she was one of only two women guides out of 30+ guides at Smith Rock. When she suggested offering more women's clinics, her then-boss told her she’d have to create her own organization if she wanted to do more than two per year. At the time, Lizzy was devastated. She didn’t want to take hold of the reins, but she dug deep and, eventually, started She Moves Mountian in 2017, as a space for women-led summits. Over time, she has created an organization to change lives and expand our world’s capacity to care for the outdoors.

“Rock climbing is what allowed me to love myself, it was the first thing that made me feel powerful and made me feel beautiful and worthy, and it wasn’t because I could do it at this super high level; It was that it made me feel whole. Seeing what my body was capable of [doing] just taught me to appreciate myself and nature in a different way. So [now I’m] getting to share that with other people and just hoping that maybe someone who needed that could connect with nature in the same way,” says Lizzy.

Part of your gear

When you’re rock climbing, you are extremely exposed to the elements, wind, hail, and snow. It can take minutes or even hours to descend to safety if the weather takes a turn for the worse. Staying warm from the elements is imperative; Lizzy describes the need for protection while climbing: “Not only is it necessary to prevent hypothermia, it’s also crucial to prevent potential distraction.” Not being comfortable or properly protected can cause anyone to lose focus and make an error. Your mind needs to be fully focused on the next hold ahead of you. And equipping yourself with the right apparel allows you to better focus on the climb. We’d reached out to Lizzy to test our new jacket, filled with Paka’s innovative alpaca fiber insulation. We built this jacket as an alternative to synthetic and down insulation and the most ethical choice for earth. We also built this jacket with adventure and outdoor enthusiasts in mind. The PAKAFILL® Puffer Jacket was made to:

• Wick moisture off your body: no shiver, no sweat (which can be deadly on mountains)
• Thermoregulate to keep mountaineers in a neutral comfort range
• Stay warm when wet (unlike down)

The new insulation within our lightweight puffer, from natural alpaca fiber, is not only warmer than any petroleum-based synthetic on the market, but it’s ethically sourced without harming any animals.