Patagonia pitons. Herbert on early ascents of the Lost Arrow Chimney and the north face of Sentinel Rock in Yosemite. He quickly establishes a reputation for worth and reliability, and begins selling climbing gear to other climbers out of the back of his car. Founded in 1973 in Ventura, California, Patagonia began selling climbing gear and later expanded to selling outdoor apparel and accessories. What was once the primary mode of protection has been pushed far to the fringes of alpinism, if not directly into the museum case. Nowadays, no climber hopes to leave any gear behind, and the overwhelming majority of climbers never have, and never will, use pitons. Jan 20, 2025 · Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, is a perfect example of someone who left the conventional path to create an adventurous and highly successful life. Jan 11, 2023 · 1960’s: Yvon Chouinard, a competitive rock climber, takes up blacksmithing to improve the quality of steel pitons and climbing gear. Excellent condition, collector owned and lightly worn. Below is the introduction to the 1972 Chouinard Equipment catalog—the first edition that was more than just order forms—written by Yvon Chouinard and Tom Frost. The Patagonia Piton Hybrid Jacket has quickly risen to the top of my gear pile as it is a workhorse in most situations. By the early 1970s when he founded Patagonia, Chouinard Equipment pitons, carabiners and ice axes had become the world standard. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023. Learn more about how Patagonia came to be. Very rare hat featuring embroidered crossed pitons with the Chouinard ‘C’ below. Jan 18, 2024 · From founding a rock-climbing equipment business and turning it into an empire of sustainably made outdoor clothing, this is the story of how rock climber and activist Yvon Chouinard created the Patagonia brand. 1972. Photo by Tom Frost. Learn about our environmental and social responsibility initiatives and where we do business here. The piton climbing tool was the first item / tool that Chouinard made in the Great Pacific Iron Works shed before he founded Patagonia. Apr 22, 2021 · Vincent Stanley, Patagonia’s company philosopher, chronicles the company’s efforts to bring environmental and social values to the heart of what the company does. Oct 23, 2014 · Though not uncomfortable, the Piton Hybrid is far from the stretchy and free-flowing Patagonia R1 Hoody. For much of climbing’s history, pitons were the primary piece of safety equipment in the mountaineer’s toolkit. What makes Yvon’s story remarkable is how he turned his passion for Everything we make has an impact on the planet. Born on November 9, 1938, in Lewiston, Maine, Yvon and his French-Canadian family moved to Southern California when he was young. It was also nationally and internationally renowned for its proactive envirenmental policies, programs and positions. Feb 25, 2024 · Here's a look inside the old Ventura blacksmith shop where Patagonia grew up. Even with Patagonia’s expansion, founder Mar 20, 2017 · A self-proclaimed "dirtbag," Yvon Chouinard built Patagonia into a $750-million-in-sales powerhouse by sticking to his values. Our classic mid-crown trucker hat with organic cotton Chouinard with equipment for rock climbing, including Hexentrics, c. For much of climbing’s history, pitons were the primary piece of safety equipment in the mountaineer’s toolkit. Though Chouinard Equipment was, at the time, the country’s premier piton manufacturer, Chouinard and Frost saw firsthand the damage their pitons did to the rock. When climber Yvon Chouinard invented his first removable climbing pitons, his Feb 26, 2025 · Without any blacksmithing lessons, Yvon set about making his first batch of pitons from an old harvester blade. Born in 1938, Yvon grew up as an outdoor enthusiast who loved climbing. Founded by Yvon Chouinard For much of climbing’s history, pitons were the primary piece of safety equipment in the mountaineer’s toolkit. . Photo courtesy of Patagonia. Nov 9, 2012 · While it’s nearly impossible to find a piece of gear that can do everything, it’s nice to have a gear that can do a lot of things. One of the adult leaders, Don Prentice, taught the boys how to rappel down the cliffs to the falcon aeries. Spending 140 days a year in the natural world, Chouinard learned early in his life as an Oct 25, 2014 · Patagonia, Inc. Chouinard started hanging out at Stoney Point and He would get so focused some days making pitons that before he’d know it 12 hours had gone by. There, as a teen he taught himself how to climb, surf, skin dive—and blacksmith. Another important value involves finding ways to be Patagonia Pitons Midcrown Trucker Hat - Excellent - Glass Blue. In 1957, Yvon went to a junkyard and bought a used coal-fired forge, a 138-pound anvil and some tongs and hammers, and started teaching himself how to blacksmith. Pitons were initially made of soft iron, but Yvon Chouinard began forging his own out of tough chrome-moly steel and selling them out of the back of his car in the 1950s. For Patagonia, this means working with friends, hiring self-motivated, intelligent employees, and giving them flexible time to enjoy surfing, climbing, and spending time with their families. Oct 31, 2006 · Yvon Chouinard, a mountaineer and eventually the founder of Patagonia, started selling hand-made pitons (metal spikes to drive into cracks in rock for support in climbing mountains) in 1957, at the age of 18. This simple lesson sparked a lifelong love of rock climbing in Yvon. The site has been designated a local historic landmark. [2] Beginnings and Blacksmithery Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s founder, got his start as a climber in 1953 as a 14-year-old member of the Southern California Falconry Club. was the largest of a group of companies owned by the Lost Arrow Corporation. Patagonia strives to live out these values every day. His company, Patagonia, sells outdoor products, outerwear, and food. Sep 17, 2022 · The rise of Patagonia: How rock climber and activist Yvon Chouinard created one of the world's biggest outdoor brands from the trunk of his car Patagonia's roots are in Yvon Chouinard’s blacksmith shop where he forged pitons that made Yosemite big-wall climbing possible—the Forge Mark graphic is a nod to Chouinard's hammered signature. It has a tapered athletic fit with two zippered hand pockets Patagonia’s story starts with a young Yvon Chouinard, who didn’t aim to build a big outdoor company but just wanted to climb. Dec 5, 2019 · To celebrate 40 years, Patagonia is calling, once again, on its timeless designs. Conserving resources helps, so this hoody is made with recycled fabrics Feb 6, 2011 · Patagonia's founder, Yvon Chouinard, a rock-climbing lover, started to make pitons by himself in the late 1950s, and this was how the company started in business. He and his friends would hop on freight trains to the sandstone cliffs of Stoney Point in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley where they would climb and rappel down rocks. Chouinard made his first pitons from an old harvester blade and tried them out with T. There, he developed a love for the outdoors, especially climbing. Pitons proved destructive to rock, but they remind us of who we once were and why we're in business to save our home planet. never got off the ground this is where Yvon would be anyway, working quietly with his hands, patiently waiting for the tide to drop so he can get an evening surf out at the point. Reflecting a shift initiated by climbers in the UK, on the East Sep 6, 2014 · The Patagonia Piton Hybrid Hoody is made of Polartec Power Dry fleece over the back and much of the arms, with Polartec Wind Pro panels on the elbows, front of the jacket and shoulders and hood. These pitons would then be precariously field-tested on the 2,145m granite wall of Sentinel Peak in Yosemite National Park. It has a durable water repellant (DWR) finish that helps prevent the fabric from becoming saturated, which then keeps it more breathable. Yvon Chouinard (born November 9, 1938) [1] is an American rock climber, environmentalist, and businessman. However, he didn’t come from a wealthy background, and his early life was far from luxurious. Watching him work I was struck by the idea that if Patagonia Inc. This privately owned company, based in Ventura, California, was a pioneer in the over $15 billion outdoor apparel and equipment industry (Lehr, 2000). At the age of 14, Yvon Chouinard discovered his passion for climbing. Learn about Patagonia's history with corporate and social/environmental responsibility in the supply chain from 1973 to present and the road ahead. Patagonia is a designer of outdoor clothing and gear for the silent sports: climbing, surfing, skiing and snowboarding, fly fishing, and trail running Yvon Chouinard was born in Lewiston, Maine, in 1938, and raised in Southern California. Apr 11, 2020 · A new book published by Patagonia details the life and exploits of the company's outdoorsman-founder, Yvon Chouinard. M. The most notable differences between the two jackets are the length, sleeves, and hood design. This brief history is dedicated to all Patagonia and Chouinard Equipment employees, present and past. Our clean climbing collection celebrates the history of Patagonia and features gear made with recycled materials and Certified Regenerative Organic Cotton. convention. In 1957, Chouinard began making reusable chrome-molybdenum steel climbing pitons himself to replace iron pitons that could be placed only once Dec 13, 2023 · A new book by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and long-time employee Vincent Stanley chronicles the past 50 years and lays out a blueprint for future. wjug otzc okcyx vjh leauqy mrly wwoc jowmz wrmod rkfrssg