Nims Daï is the fastest climber to have conquered 14 peaks over 8,000 meters in altitude. He was able to count on state-of-the-art equipment to achieve his records. Therm-ic products were part of his historic ascent of K2 in winter.
The ultimate challenge proposed to the best mountaineers on the planet, the ascent of K2 in winter was finally achieved less than two years ago. It was in January 2021 and the feat was signed by ten Nepalese, including the most illustrious of them Nims Daï, who specified a few days later to have achieved the ascent without the help of oxygen.
To reach the end of the second highest mountain in the world in the most difficult conditions, the 39 year old Nepalese mountaineer obviously faced extreme conditions, which he was able to endure thanks to perfectly chosen equipment. Among the partners who accompanied him on this adventure, Therm-ic was a key player. Since its creation in 1998, the brand has established itself as the historical expert in thermoregulation. First by inventing the heating system for ski boots, then by developing technical products for optimal thermoregulation.
In fact, it was Nims Daï himself who approached the brand a few months before his winter ascent of K2. The mountaineer was able to choose from a wide range of Therm-ic equipment, praising in particular the effectiveness of the heated gloves and mittens. "I used them a lot," he confirms. "I opted for two sizes larger than mine so that I could slip in warmers as well as undergloves. I also made a lot of use of the heaters, for both hands and feet, which I eventually inserted all in my gloves and not in my shoes to keep myself warm at all times."
"Maintaining the thermal comfort of my hands was absolutely vital, because without good hand mobility, it became impossible for me to use the belay system. In that sense, without the heated gloves, I would certainly have died. You could say they saved my life. All I had to do was press the "On" button to warm up as soon as I felt my fingers starting to freeze. These gloves provided a perfectly balanced response between performance, comfort and practicality."
Following his exploit on K2 with his fellow climbers, Nims Daï came to visit the Grenoble countryside, where the brand's offices are located, to chat with the Therm-ic teams. In particular, it was an opportunity to give feedback on the products used in the Himalayas. "He was extremely positive about the efficiency of the heating systems, despite the extreme conditions," explains Jérôme Gasser, Therm-ic's Product Development Manager. "He also emphasized the quality of the products' construction, particularly in terms of their durability and reliability. After that, I wouldn't go so far as to say that we enabled the feat, we just accompanied it. All credit goes to him and his team. They were exceptional."
If Therm-ic products have satisfied a mountaineer of Nims Daï's renown, there's little doubt that this winter they will delight skiers, snowboarders and amateur mountaineers. "Our primary mission with Therm-ic is to offer thermal comfort to all mountaineers," confirms Jérôme Gasser. "Whatever the altitude, whatever the discipline, whatever the season. Whether they're in the valley or on the roof of the world. Whether they're hiking, skiing or mountaineering. So with Nims, we're about to embark on a process of co-development of products and technologies designed to be effective in particularly extreme conditions, found nowhere else."
"Our first challenge concerns the evolution of our patented technology, S.E.T (Smart Elastic Technology), which aims for a stretchable, imperceptible heating solution on first layers of garments to promote the delivery of heat right to the body with the idea of optimal thermal efficiency. Nims and his team are going to put it to the test this winter!" By 2023, a neckband and heaters will be unveiled. Each sale of these products will bring in one euro for Nims Daï's foundation, one of whose missions is to collect waste from four emblematic summits despoiled by human expeditions. In 2024, Therm-ic will launch a specific range for mountaineering and expeditions in the extreme cold, before unveiling an expert range of heating solutions in 2025, enabling the development of high-performance technologies for all mountain sports enthusiasts.
While waiting to discover this new range elaborated with the Nepalese, you can equip yourself for the winter with Therm-ic products to be found on Private Sport Shop at this address.
