Q & A WITH JAROSLAW WALEWSKI ABOUT WHAT MAKES ELITECLIMB TOOLS TICK
IT’S HARD TO THINK OF MANY OTHER COMPANIES SO DEVOTED TO HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINE CLIMBING AND WITH THE PEDIGREE TO MATCH, SO WHEN WE FIND THEM AND THEY ARE WILLING TO ENGAGE WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO EXPOSE THEM TO THE SMALL SCENE OF EXPEDITIONARY ALPINISTS WHERE THE DETAILS REALLY MATTER.
WE HAVE WORKED WITH ELITECLIMB FOR A FEW YEARS NOW AND EVEN IN OUR SHORT TIME HAVE SEEN MULTIPLE DEVELOPMENTS THAT KEEP PUTTING THESE TOOLS AHEAD OF ANYTHING ELSE, BY A MARGIN THAT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. THE WORD ‘ELITE’ IS MISAPPLIED THESE DAYS 99% OF THE TIME, BUT IN THE CASE OF THESE TOOLS IT IS TOTALLY RELEVANT.
NONE OF THIS DEVELOPMENT IS RANDOM OR NOVELTY, AND IS THE RESULT OF JAROSLAW’S UNIQUE MENTALITY, HIGH LEVEL OF PRODUCT INTEGRITY, AND CENTER AT POLANDS LONG HISTORY OF ELITE CLIMBING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST VANGUARD THING THE POLES HAVE DONE IN CLIMBING AND WON’T BE THE LAST, AND THE SMALL PUNK COMPANIES EXPERIMENTING WITH THESE MATERIALS AND METHODS WILL ALWAYS BE WHERE THE LEADING EDGE OF DEVELOPMENT LAYS.
THERE’S A LOT HERE TO THINK ABOUT, THESE ARE NO GENERIC REPLIES YOU WILL FIND IN A BROCHURE.
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WHEN DID ELITECLIMB START, HOW DID IT START, WHAT KEEPS IT GOING?
My composite background comes from sail planes factory where I was working few years before the start of Eliteclimb. In 2013 during climbing in Tatra mountains I’ve meet Wojciech Ryczer who asked me to develop an ice tool… He helped to design the shape and first details of handle and pick. Next I was extremely lucky to meet Artur Malek (one of the top polish himalaists and ice climbers). He decided to check how the prototypes are working and took them on the summer K2 expedition in 2014. I felt really honored with that, and started to believe that those tools have future 🙂
WHAT IS IT ELITECLIMB BRINGS TO EXPEDITION ALPINISM
As I mentioned I was really lucky to meet Artur Małek who helped to upgrade Salamandra tools especially for expeditions. He has a huge experience in high altitude and ice climbing and as well he has a lot ideas to improve equipment. We found out that composite tools have much more advantages than only being lightweight. Being a small manufacturer I was able to make a product that is ‘tailored’ to specific demands of high altitude climbing. Artur improved design and ergonomic and I’ve improved technology.
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP IDEAS?
After checking out the prototypes, news about carbon tools spread around in climbing community in Poland. I live in Sląsk ‘home’ of many Polish himalaist, so they were very interested how they perform and started to use them during the expeditions.
HOW DO EXPEDITION-GRADE PRODUCTS DIFFER FROM REGULAR PRODUCTS?
They are similar as the roots of Salamandra tools comes from expeditions. Sometimes I’m doing shaft lighter or with small custom improvements. You can also choose lighter picks to save some grams climbing an 8k. All picks are made in same technology safe up to -60C used on many winter expeditions.
HOW HAS YOUR PAST INFLUENCED WHAT YOU MAKE AND HOW YOU MAKE IT?
Mixture of my interest in airplanes and passion for mountains let me come to place where I’m at the moment. I’ve received huge experience in dealing with composites from sail planes factory and implement it to manufacture climbing equipment.
WHAT ROLE DO NEW MATERIALS PLAY IN YOUR TOOLS?
There is always a place to use and test new materials, composites are being developed all the time. Unfortunately because covid and war in Ukraine prices soar up high and accessibility is much lower… Nevertheless I have few new components on the waiting list for better times:)
WITHOUT COMMERCIAL LIMITATIONS, WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO?
With composites it is truly “sky is the limit”. Almost each part of equipment it’s possible to convert from metal/plastic to composites.
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PART 2 COMING SOON