First things first – if you haven’t heard of Edurne Pasaban before, it’s time we put things right. Edurne is the first ever woman to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000 metre peaks.
One of the world’s best mountaineers, she originates from Spain’s Basque Country. She achieved the remarkable feat in the space of just nine years; starting with Everest in 2001 and finishing with Shishapangma in 2010.
Why are we talking about her here? Well, you might be interested to know that she was heavily involved in the design of the Aran Valley women’s jacket from Haglofs. Haglofs brought Edurne on board because they were looking to produce the optimal summer insulation piece, one that could stand up and handle the unique challenges thrown up by mountaineering.
And, let’s face it, there’s not many people better suited to collaborate with on such a project than someone who ticked off all of the planet’s big ones in less than a decade.
“Edurne Pasaban who designed this is the first ever woman to climb all 14 of the world’s 8,000 metre peaks.”
So, what is it about the Aran Valley jacket that elevates it above so much of the competition? First and foremost, it’s lightweight without skimping on durability and wind resistance. There’s also some superb moisture management tech here, ideal for those days in the mountains when things get chilly.
Available in ‘True Black’ and ‘Haze’ (a sort of pink flesh colour), the Aran Valley can be worn as either an outer layer or as an insulating mid-layer under your main shell.
The two zippered handwarmer pockets have been well made here, and we really dig the minimalistic elastic cuffs and bottom hem. In fact, our test team loved the fit of the whole product – the medium model we had on test was comfortable and easy to get on and off. The snug-fitting hood, that responds smartly to your movements, was excellent.
