"We believe apparel for alpine climbing should fulfill the most stringent technical needs of modern alpine climbers."
Superior Mountain Apparel
Since 2010, we’ve designed our apparel to be trusted in the burliest of environments. Drawing from a talented pool of Oregon-based makers, we dream up a layer one day and send out prototypes the next day. Our apparel is directly influenced by input from world-class athletes who put it through the wringer and let us know its breaking points.
We pride ourselves on nimbly responding to the needs of climbers of all disciplines type two-ing it in the mountains and cold places of every continent. We are constantly experimenting with the next generation of materials that make no compromises between function, weight, and durability.
From concept, to creation, to final product, we keep our pieces simple so they simply work. You won’t find us making superfluous lifestyle apparel, unless of course that lifestyle is freezing your butt off a few hundred meters off the deck.
Made In The U.S.A.
Our commitment to the revitalization of American manufacturing is as critical a component to our products as the materials we use to make them.
By choosing to make our apparel in the USA, we are investing in both the climbing community and the community we live in.
Everything we use has to be made somewhere, by someone. So why not here?
History
The Beginning
In the early 2000s NW Alpine founder Bill Amos found himself dissatisfied with technical clothing options for alpine climbing. In an effort to appeal to the broader public, many outdoor companies were slowly turning away from the needs of their core audience and were becoming more fashion oriented. Bill envisioned a simple, functional and extremely durable apparel line for people who were really out there in the alpine. At the tail end of the 2008 recession Bill was inspired to realize his vision. He believed that the only way we would have a real economic recovery in the U.S. is if we started making things here again. There are not very many companies that make apparel in the U.S., and even fewer who make climbing specific apparel, but Bill thought there would be a lot of people who would support it.
From this spark of an idea, NW Alpine was launched in 2010. The founding mission of the company was to: make clothes for climbing that are simple, functional, light, and of the highest quality; support domestic manufacturing; and provide the best customer service.
