Travel
Arc’teryx leans into its deep ties to the Canadian Rockies, blending innovation, sustainability and mountain culture while championing conservation
“You lifted your hand again,” Will Gadd says to me, calmly but firmly, as he grabs the bright blue rope attached to my fellow first-time ice climber about six metres above us. I apologize (for a second time) and promise it won’t happen again. Belaying, I’m learning, is not as easy as it looks. But then again, neither is ice climbing. Thankfully, I’m being guided by one of the best in the world, while wearing gear built precisely for moments like this.
Nicknamed the “Captain of Adventure,” Canadian climber and mountain guide Will Gadd is known for feats like scaling a frozen Niagara Falls and setting paragliding distance records. Today, though, he’s with a group of journalists (me included) as we put Arc’teryx gear to the test, trying not to injure one another while swinging ice axes.
It’s just after 11 a.m. and I’m layered head-to-toe in brand-new Arc’teryx gear, standing beneath a wall of ice in King Creek, one of the most iconic climbing sites in Alberta’s Bow Valley with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures. The temperature hovers slightly above freezing, but I’m dry, warm and fully mobile. Arc’teryx’s reputation for high-performance alpine gear isn’t just marketing, it’s a difference you feel — and appreciate — when you’re trusting your life to your jacket’s flexibility, your harness’s fit and the grip of your gloves as you scale a frozen waterfall.
“I’ve never felt like my gear has stopped me from doing anything,” says Gadd. “The brand says it’s ‘athlete-inspired,’ and it actually is.” As an Arc’teryx athlete, Gadd focuses on risk management and works closely with the brand’s advanced concepts team to create prototypes and test new gear.
Founded in B.C.’s Coast Mountains in 1989, Arc’teryx is a technical climbing brand whose every piece of clothing and every accessory is shaped by the demands of the landscape: unforgiving, technical and stunningly beautiful.
In April, the company that became a global leader through its commitment to technical outerwear, mountain performance and innovation, opened an ambitious 4,091-square-foot retail store in Banff, Alta.
The flagship store marks a homecoming of sorts — although the brand is popular among urban joggers and weekend walkers, the launch is a return to Arc’teryx’s mountain roots. The space is more than a store — it is also designed as a gathering and training spot for the local alpine community, athletes and ambassadors.
“It’s the brand experience coming to life,” says Tammy Primeau, one of Arc’teryx’s community managers. “It’s really through our events and programming that we will invite people into the store to connect with our team, our ambassadors, our product and the brand.”
The walls are lined with photographs of local athletes using the gear for its intended purposes (climbing, hiking, and trail running). In the middle of the store, a three-dimensional topographic map showcases trails close to Banff and Canmore, which staff can use to help clients plan outdoor activities.
Staff have all received AST1 (Avalanche Skills Training), so they can recommend specific gear for trails and vice versa. “We really want to equip the community with the knowledge to get outdoors, to get out safely,” says Primeau. “Especially those first-timers who want to get out, but don’t have the community and the appetite or just maybe don’t have the support.”
The topographic map, which measures about one by two metres, is a store highlight—a special project made in collaboration with Daryl Kootenay of the Stoney Nakoda Nation. Kootenay worked with local knowledge keepers and Elders to ensure the map included First Nations’ place names and points of significance.
Also significant is the ReBIRD™ Service Centre, a space dedicated to product care, repair and education. It’s a way to be both sustainable and allow customers to keep their well-loved gear going just that much longer. f Staff member Avery Vanwynsberghe tells the story of a customer who came into the store with a damaged jacket that he had been wearing on Mount Everest during the 2015 earthquake. “He didn’t want to part with it. It had seen some love, so we were able to keep it going and keep it alive for maybe another season.”
The ReBIRD initiative also includes hands-on classes for customers on how to maintain their gear, repair minor damage like tears or holes, or know when to send items out for more extensive fixes. Some Arc’teryx jackets, such as the Alpha SV, retail for more than $1,000, making them “luxury” investments. “These items are not jewels,” says store manager Jeff Papa. “They are meant to be taken out and trashed, then fixed on site. Prolonging the life of our products so they stay out of landfills for as long as possible is probably one of the best things you can do to reduce your overall carbon footprint and eliminate waste.”
To prove the point, one of his staff cuts a hole in a new Alpha SV and then demonstrates how it can be repaired in under five minutes with a heat press. The patch is then tested on the spot with a water pressure system to ensure it still meets Arc’teryx’s technical standards.
ReBIRD also runs ReGEAR, a program that allows customers to trade in old items that are then repaired and resold at a discount. Scrap materials and worn-out jackets are upcycled into new products, like chalk bags, extending the life of each piece even further.
The Gear Library is a draw for outdoorsy gearheads. For a nominal fee, a curated selection of in-season products is available to rent and test. From ski jackets to hiking shells, the library invites customers to demo gear in real conditions before committing.
As someone who has spent my fair share of time in the mountains — hiking through downpours on Kilimanjaro and braving freezing temperatures in the Himalayas — I thought I understood what good gear looked like. I’ve weathered enough storms to feel confident in my choices. But then I met Arc’teryx.
Like many, I initially balked at the price. Arc’teryx’s reputation for technical excellence was familiar, but the cost felt out of reach. That changed the moment I tried my first piece: the Alpha SV. From its precision fit to its bombproof construction, I immediately understood the value of investing in one piece of gear built to last.
Over the years, I’ve cycled through multiple rain jackets, pants and lightweight down jackets, which either underperformed or broke down with use. Looking back, I could have spent the same amount or less on a single, high-quality Arc’teryx kit that outperforms and outlasts. My experience is, in many ways, a reflection of sustainability in practice: buy less, buy better, buy gear designed to endure. Amen to that.
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