hilltrek

We will be at the Scottish Outdoor Show at the SECC in Glasgow on Saturady October 15th to Sunday October 16th.

You can find us on stand 55, near the entrance, where we will have a range of our own Ventile, Cotton Analogy and Nikwax Analogy Clothing and Páramo Directional Waterproof Clothing.

We will also have Teko socks, Superfeet, Anatom boots and much more.

The Páramo Portal will be on the stand to give access to all Páramo’s stock and great deals on Páramo Clothing.

See you there.

We rested at a mountain lodge at 3400m for a few hours of sleep, during which time the Braemardried out completely.　

I ordered a Braemar windshirt from your company in early August (Order Number: MA085110001170) , as a component of my gear for a planned climb up Japan’s highest mountain, Mt.Fuji. (August 26th) Initially I was told there would be a delay due to stock shortages, but after informing you that my order was urgent, delivery time was reduced and the Braemar arrived in good time. 

At around 2:30am we continued on to the summit in still damp weather.　 We reached the summit (3700m) just in time for a lovely sunrise (5:10am) and triumph.　 Descent of the mountain was slow and steady, and we were greeted at the lower levels by a continuous downpour which really tested the smock. Again no problems, just some stiffening of the fabric but no leakage or noticeable wetness inside the smock.

Wherever the next hike/climb will be, the Braemar’s the first thing in (and out of!) my rucksack!

All in all I was extremely impressed with the performance of your product, which proved it’s worth from start to finish and now I have my sights set on a more ‘bespoke’ version made just for me!

 Musaab Aljanabi

Mt Fuji Crater

All the best

Musaab on Mt Fuji

So, many thanks for responding to my needs – I really appreciate it.　 Nowadays I find such communication between retailer and customer to be quite rare and it’s frustrating!

I was also invited to share my photos of the climb, so here’s a brief (and I hope not too boring) account of the climb and smock performance notes, plus photos attached.

We started the climb in earnest at about 2,300m (7550ft) to fair weather.　 After about an hour or so however, things changed and the tone was set for the rest of the climb (in total abut 12 hours) with fine misty rain and light wind.　 Conditions persisted, with rain getting heavier the higher we went, with only occasional breaks and gaps in the cloud. 　 Throughout this time, the Braemar smock dealt with the situation perfectly.　 Rain beaded and rolled off the fabric all over, apart from the hood, which stiffened (the famous ventile ‘cardboard’ effect) but remained effective.

Another point to note, and a key reason for my choosing ventile, was temperature regulation.　 Due to the fact that the climb was in summer, temperatures were wide ranging (from 20 to 4 degrees c, low to highest elevation) and as a result many people – especially those wearing more ‘modern’ garments – were sweating profusely in the early stages, so were just as wet inside as out.　 Not me however, the breathability of the fabric was great and I had no trouble maintaining a comfortable body temperature (btw, inner and mid layers were merino wool – merino long sleeve undershirt and Ullfrotte gilet).

View from Mt Fuji

Odlo Longsleeve half zip Windproof

15th May, on a cold and breezy Sunday, and a hardy group of mountain bikers meet for a strenous ride around the Ladder Hills to the North of Corgarff.

I had chosen to wear my new Odlo windproof baselayer due to the wind, but didn’t want the extra warmth of my cycling jacket. The baselayer is made of 2 fabrics. Windprotection 3L on the front of the body & sleeves, with a highly wicking,  fine pique material on the rear of the body and sleeves. Odlo recommend the 3L tops for any sport in which the wearer is moving forwards at speed i.e running/cycling/Nordic skiing. Thankfully I’d made the right choice, as the red and sweaty faces of my colleagues poked out from the collars of their waterproofs.

The weather as I mentioned earlier was cool and breezy, and as the ride progressed we were caught in intermittent showers. Luckily due to the windproof front of my top, I could carry on cycling without having to overheat in a jacket. The highly wicking fabric meant that at the end of a long pedal uphill, I wasn’t chilled by perspiration on my skin. The material also dries very quickly, so the showers did not pose a problem.

I have worn the Odlo windproof over the last few months, and it has exceeded my expectations of what a baselayer can do, as well as reducing the need to layer up on cool, windy days. All in all, a fantastic piece of innovation.

Push hard,

John Green

We will be holding a sale at our shop in Aboyne starting Friday 23rd and continuing through to Saturday 29th.

 The sale will offer great discounts on our retail stock including down jackets, ski clothing, waterproof jackets, fleeces, base layers etc etc. Brands include Rab, Helly Hansen, Patagonia, Páramo and Hilltrek.

We want to clear our stock of Hilltrek one-off Lomond Jackets, one-off Ventile jackets, trousers and smocks, fleeces etc. So there will be some great buys to be had.

 I’m afraid that it is a retail sale only and not offered over our website -you have to visit us in beautiful Aboyne!

Walking in powder snow is fun.  However, to keep it that way you need to make sure the wet does not get into your hiking boots.  Easier said than done, powder snow has that ability to find its way in regardless how tranquil the weather conditions are.  The only solution I have found to work is to wear a pair of snow gaiters.  The tip on buying gaiters is to select a good fit and make sure they have strap under your hiking boot.  In deep snow it is just so easy for the gaiter to ride up your leg.  The team at the Hilltrek store will be happy to share their advice with you.

The sun hadn’t made an appearance for a few days so things were dull and damp in the hills.  Not particularly cold but a thin east wind you noticed when you stopped walking.  My choice of clothing was a t-shirt and a fleece.  For me my made to measure Lochnagar Fleece.

In fact, it was a made to measure day for me as I was wearing my double ventile walking trousers too.  The hills seem even more peaceful when wrapped in the mist and my Hilltreck clothing was making it comfortable in those conditions.

Want a challenging and satisfying sales job admidst the Scottish hills where you can hillwalk, mountaineer, ski, fish, stalk, mountain-bike or bushcraft?

If yes we may be able to help.

We are looking to add a sales person to our team based in Aboyne  in Royal Deeside. You would be involved in retail, trade, internet and mail order sales, assist in buying retail stock and have an influence in our product design.

Working in Hilltrek is not like working in another outdoor retailer because we manufacture our own clothing in our workshop on site. You would work closely with our design and production staff to convert customer requirements to customer satisfaction -and we already have satisfied customers in over 20 countries from Greenland to Australia.

Working with us is not like working in boring web sales because you will meet real customers in our shop who will give you direct feedback which you can use to help to improve our products using your excellent communication skills.

You will need to be strong on product knowledge which is our edge.

Outside our own Ventile and Nikwax clothing ranges we carry a only few product lines from other manufacturers but in far more depth than other retailers. We have had a long association with Páramo being one of the first retailers in 1994 to be convinced of Páramo’s Directional Waterproof concept.  Since then we have become the only Páramo Premier Retailer in Scotland north of Perth and the only one authorised to carry out repairs to Páramo clothing. We also have a licence from Nikwax Fabrics, Páramo’s sister company, to use their Nikwax Analogy fabric to manufacture our own Made To Measure Clothing, Childrens Nikwax Clothing and incorporate within our Cotton Analogy range.

Ideally you will already have retail experience, a strong interest in outdoor clothing and equipment and love of the outdoors.

If you want more information we can send you a job description and if you are interested please send your CV to sales@hilltrek.co.uk

Congratulations to Sylvia Tasker of Arbroath, who won a Paramo Camino Shirt donated by Hilltrek, for her photograph (above) taken during the Ballater Walking Week in May.

Ballater’s annual walking festival has been running since 1998, and we’re told that this year has been their most successful Walking Week yet.  Its programme is devised by a team of professional mountain guides, rangers, and local residents, and accommodates walkers of all ilks, from the occasional ambler to the seasoned munro-bagger.  For details of past and forthcoming events, visit the Royal Deeside website: http://www.royal-deeside.org.uk/RDnews/walkweek.htm

I am starting the planning for my walk up Ben Avon this week.  The weather forecast is where I usually start my preparations and things are looking promising for Tuesday onwards.  About this time last year I walked to the summit of Ben MacDhui and it was a hot day in the hills, so thoughts on what jacket to bring were more along the lines, will I need an outdoor jacket at all?  Of course the answer is always yes.  This year the weather is a lot cooler, the freezing level reported at 1200m at the weekend past, that is cold enough for snow on the summits in the Cairngorms.  It is going to be 20 mile walk so that is going to be a bit of an energy spend and the hike up the steeper slopes will no doubt keep me warm.  So what jacket to wear?  Two things, one the need to keep the rain off and two, to keep the wind out but I suppose thirdly, but not at the price of overheating.  For me that means, the outer shell of my winter ski jacket with a breathable shirt below and a further t-shirt below if warmth is needed.  If some warmth is need and the weather is dry I’d go for just the inner lining of my ski-jacket with the outer shell packed in the rucksack.  Given those choices I was looking around the hilltrek online store and selected the following items:

Gairn Windproof Smock for those cooler summer days when the rain and wind is likely.

Naturally Páramo Reversible shirts Explorer Light Pull on with the new lighter weight materials this versatile jacket provides maximum flexibility for cooler to warmer day use.

Made to Measure Braemar Single Ventile Windshirt for those that want want exact fit comfort and performance.

In many ways choosing a summer outdoor jacket is a harder job than a winter one but for sure one should be packed in a rucksack.

Heriott Watt fashion technology student Alison has recently completed a year’s work placement at Hilltrek.  Here’s what she has to say about her experience:

“To gain necessary hands-on experience within the technical clothing industry, I was placed by my university in Hilltrek’s Clachan Yell workshops.  Aboyne might not be the most obvious hub of technical clothing innovation, but it was there I cut my teeth gaining practical knowledge of new fabrics and cutting patterns, developed my sewing skills, and – as well as manufacturing garments - worked on a diverse spectrum of repairs which came into the workshop. I doubt any big brand companies would have been able to provide as varied an experience; one day I’d be repairing tents and flysheets, the next adjusting school bags and motor biking gear!  The team at Clachan Yell also involved me in the cutting stage of many of Hilltrek’s garments, which allowed me to become more experienced with an array of popularly stocked fabrics.  I picked up various new techniques involved at the preliminary stages of garment design, and, as well as familiarizing myself with Hilltrek’s patterns, I even helped to produce new ones:  see the Kintail Ventile shirt http://www.hillgear.com/acatalog/Kintail_Ventile.html for an example of my work!

I would like to say a big thank you to everyone at Hilltrek who helped me throughout the year; from my experience at the Clachan Yell workshops I gained indispensable knowledge and vastly improved my skills and confidence in garment manufacture.”